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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26010844">Something Ends, Something Begins</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewinterwars27/pseuds/thewinterwars27'>thewinterwars27</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, characters will be tagged as they appear, ghost and mrs muir meet akusai, might be a little angsty but definitely a happy ending, my boys deserve that much, rated M for some eventual smut way far down the line, uhhh i have no clue what else to tag</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:53:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>31,112</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26010844</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewinterwars27/pseuds/thewinterwars27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Lea's life at Radiant Garden gets upended, he has to take Roxas and Xion and start over in another world. A cottage by the sea seems perfect and definitely not haunted by the ghost of its former inhabitant, a blue haired man with a mysterious scar and an equally mysterious past.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Axel/Saïx (Kingdom Hearts), Isa/Lea (Kingdom Hearts)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>37</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Something Ends</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>this is based off of “the ghost and mrs muir” but modern! I love akusai and the idea of these two in the ghost and mrs muir setting is just *chefs kiss* (this work will be loosely based off of both the book and the movie of the same name, with changes to fit a modern KH take) title is based off of my fav witcher quote</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For some people, walking in the town square on their way home from work on a Tuesday evening at 6:48 PM is just another ordinary day for them. For some people, they are simply on their way to their next destination- home, the night shift, the store, and there is nothing extraordinary about this Tuesday evening, other than the fact that a summer storm is approaching. For others (namely one with unruly red hair) it is 6:48PM on what is so not a very ordinary day in Radiant Garden. Lea lets out a long sigh as he walks back to his apartment, knowing all too well that this will be one of the last times he does so. </p><p>As he runs his hand through his hair and looks up at the approaching storm he can’t help but wonder if fate feels just as lousy as he does right now. Ever since the earthquake that rocked Radiant Garden two years ago, Lea has always felt he was never able to re-settle his life (as if it was ever settled in the first place). Working his shifts at The Castle to come home and ensure Roxas and Xion had eaten and were doing their schoolwork seemed like a good start to a routine at first. </p><p>Soon though, the bills had started to pile up, and Lea began to give up some of the few comforts he had in life to make ends meet. He wanted to keep pretending the kids didn't know they were struggling but of course they did, they somehow always knew how to read Lea. Of course they would notice Lea buying them new clothes but not himself, making sure they ate the most at dinner, and perhaps the dead ringer- no more late night runs to buy sea salt ice cream. He was going to make sure the kids stayed in school, had a roof over their heads and never went hungry- after all they deserved that much. “And I can’t even give them that” he says out loud to no one in particular as he continues his walk home. </p><p>Two weeks, two weeks is all they have left in their tiny third floor apartment. Lea cannot make the money stretch much further and he worries about how he's going be able to find a new place for all of them. After the earthquake hit, so many kids had lost not only their homes, but their parents as well. Lea saw Xion and Roxas hanging around a lot around The Gardens during the rebuild, and Lea being the ever present social butterfly always made sure to strike a conversation with them and not so subtly share his lunch.</p><p>It took some time, but eventually they both told him they had lost everything, and Lea wasted no time in bringing them home (as soon as a new one was built). But even then, the place was small, just right for one person and Lea had planned on it being just him. But he never once complained and set about the apartment with the kids trying to make sure they had some semblance of privacy and a place to belong. At first Lea figured it couldn't be too hard, how much work can two kids be?</p><p>It turned out that in fact, two kids can be a whole lot of work and money that Lea was never ever prepared to deal with. First it was just extra money for food, then once the new school was finished it became enrollment fees and books and clothes and lunch money. “I was able to make it work for some time,” he thinks out loud “but not long enough.”</p><p>The months passed and Lea continued to make sure the kids were looked after, and he could never begrudge them their happiness. But his own happiness fell by the wayside. “When was the last time I did anything for myself?” he wonders out loud and not for the first time he's glad the approaching storm has driven mostly everyone indoors because if anyone heard him talking aloud to himself they’d really think he'd lost it. It's bad enough everyone warned him that he couldn't raise two kids and himself on The Castle’s salary but how anyone could look at two kids who have lost everything and not want to at least try is beyond him. </p><p>The rain that had been threatening to fall on his walk home finally does, so he sprints the last two blocks home because of course he’d forgotten his umbrella at home. As he shakes off the rain and walks up the stairs he can smell chicken and onions, and is none too surprised to find out it's coming from his apartment. He can hear the sounds of some pop song being played and opens the door slightly dripping wet to hear Xion say “Roxas, I don't remember getting a shaggy looking wet dog with red hair, do you?” </p><p>“Hmmmmm...nope can't say that I do Xion, although if it can clean the house maybe we can let it stay?” Roxas rubs his hand on his chin, pretending to look Lea over as if he was in deep thought. </p><p>“Haha, very funny guys, great to be home too!” Lea goes to collapse on the couch but remembers at the last second that he’s dripping wet. “On second thought, maybe a quick shower before dinner,” and makes his way to the bathroom. </p><p>Once in the bathroom the gravity of the situation hits him all over again. They’re gonna have to leave this home, this place Lea has tried so hard over the last two years to make their own. This place that has a too small kitchen that Xion loves to cook in, the small window ledge Roxas sets the radio on to play with as he helps her cook, the chipped wooden end table that houses their bowl of odd rocks they find throughout the town. As he rinses off in the shower, he thinks about a way to tell the kids they’re moving, he just has no clue to where yet. </p><p>“Great, just great Lea, just gonna come out and say ‘Hey kids! I know you guys just began to feel settled and comfortable in your routines but guess what we gotta move! To where you ask? No clue yet, but not to worry I’ll have everything sorted out soon!’’</p><p>Xion knocks on the door to tell him dinners ready. “I’ll be out in five,” he yells back through the door and begins the process of drying off and having eight conversations in his head about how to break the news to them. </p><p>As he wanders out, not having the slightest plan on how to tell them, he decides to just enjoy the dinner Xion cooked for them. Let me try to keep it as normal as I can for them for as long as I can, they’ve been through enough. <em>So have you</em> a voice somewhere inside his head tells him, but he ignores that for now.</p><p>“Xion everything smells so delicious as always, you guys dig in first while I grab a drink.” As he gets up, he misses the glance Xion and Roxas share with each other, while neither of them reach for the food.</p><p>When he sits back down and notices no one has made a move for the food, he lets out a long sigh. “How long have you guys known?” he asks instead, since he knows this is a losing battle. </p><p>“That we’ve been struggling with money? A while” Xion answers. “That we’re basically going to be homeless in a few days? Yesterday” Roxas finishes for her. </p><p>“The landlord came by yesterday but you were already gone for your shift, and I had just finished running any odd jobs down at the market. When he opened the door and saw me standing there I don’t think he quite knew what to do with himself” Xion says.</p><p>“But he told me that if we couldn’t make the rent we owed him for last month on top of this month's rent, he really couldn't help us and we’d have to move out. I told him I would let you know and he left. I figured I’d tell Roxas after his shift at the store was over, and….I didn’t want to worry you,” she finishes.</p><p><em>Typical, Xion has a heart of gold and is worried about making me stressed out as if the fate of it doesn't affect all of us, </em>Lea thinks to himself.</p><p>“Then when you were late to dinner and barely conversational, I figured you already had spoken to the landlord and you were trying to think of some plan to make it work.”</p><p>“The reason I was late was because, as you guessed it, the landlord had already told me the news that morning and didn't mention the conversation he had with you. So I went to talk to Braig about taking more shifts or doing other things around the castle.” Lea scoffs to himself as he remembers Braig taunting him about begging for help now when it's too late. </p><p>“But Braig turned me down and said there were no shifts or jobs, so I worked my shift and started to plan how we could stretch what we had left,” he tells them, and immediately feels awful for saying so.</p><p>Before any of them can say anything, Lea starts up again “Look, I know how hard it was for you guys, I mean you both lost everything and here I was, a place to live and food and of course why wouldn't I help you guys out? I told myself it’s probably just temporary, but the truth is I grew to love having you guys around to talk with and laugh at my stupid jokes. So I told myself it can't be that difficult. And at first it wasn’t. But I wasn’t prepared for just how much money it takes to care for three people and I was never good at math,” he chuckles lamely at them, and finds they both crack a small sad smile at him. Better than tears at least.</p><p>“I wanted you guys to grow up as normal as you guys could, I wanted you to be happy and live somewhat normal teenage lives, so I didn’t and still don’t mind having to sacrifice a few comforts on my end. After all, I didn't grow up having a happy childhood, and this felt like the universe telling me that maybe I couldn't have that, but I sure as hell could try to help someone else have it. It just turns out that that someone happened to be two someones in the form of you two,” he smiles at them. </p><p>Xion smiles back at him, and although it’s tinged with sadness, it still is genuine. “Lea…..I don't know what to say” and this time it looks like the tears might fall. “I know you've sacrificed a lot for us, and maybe Roxas and I both knew that this time would come where we would become a burden to you and we’d have leave and make it on our own-</p><p>“Stop right there!” Lea shouts and Xion is crying at this point and Lea wants to hit himself with how useless he feels. </p><p>“You guys, you never were and never will be a burden to me. You hear me? You got it memorized?” he asks as he gets up and goes to hug them both at the other end of the table. Xion squeezes his ribs too tight and sniffles into his shirt, while Roxas just silently hugs them both back, probably feeling too afraid this is the last time they’ll all be together again. </p><p>After a few moments of hugging, Lea crouches down to their level and looks at them both. “Yes, we’re going to have to move. Most likely out of Radiant Garden. But I’m taking you both with me, and we’re going to find a new place, a better place with doors that don't stick in the summertime heat and pipes that don't rattle in the winter. And just like we made this place our home, we’re going to make our new place home too. Got it memorized?” and for the first time that night, a genuine smile crosses his face.</p><p>The kids feel it too, and the smile they give back is just as real. “Now, I know after all that crying and heart wrenching soul searching we all must be starving, so let's eat!” and he ushers them back to the table. As they sit back down again, Lea watches as Roxas turns the radio up a bit and Xion takes a big portion of chicken and smiles again, knowing that whatever happens is going to happen, but as long as he has Roxas and Xion he knows the three of them can weather any storm thrown at them.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>ok so!! If you got this far then I congratulate and thank you for reading!! this is my first fanfic and I have the idea of it plotted out, it just needs to get written (which it will) I love reading peoples thoughts/comments so lemme know what you think! this chapter was a little unexciting and went through 4 re-writes, but it will pick up I promise! also this story is gonna be very loosely based off of the book/movie, as I am changing so much of the story to fit KH worlds/aspects and make it modern since the original story is about a widower and her 2 children in the 1950s. anyways i'm rambling now, but I hope to update once a week!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Tower</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>how many witcher title references can I make that also match KH? stay tuned to find out</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lea wakes up early the next morning feeling both defeated and determined. He almost doesn’t want to go to work but he knows he needs as much money as he can make in the next few days in order to start looking around to find their new place to live. On the plus side, his shift will be over by 3:30 this afternoon, which leaves him with plenty of time to head over to MT Real Estate and make inquiries about finding a new house.</p><p>His shift at work seems to fly by, and before he knows it he's walking the few blocks to MT Real Estate. He's never actually been inside nor seen the owner Yen Sid ever around, but he checked online and it said it was open until 6PM today. As he approaches the huge wooden oak doors, he notices that this building, while he knows most likely had to have just been recently re-done thanks to the earthquake, looks somewhat old. The light yellow paint exterior and green tiled roof aren't much different from the other buildings color schemes, but somehow this place just gives off an aura of being other worldly. </p><p>Lea walks up to the star and sun engraved doors and knocks. When he gets no answer, he knocks a bit harder.</p><p>“Hello, anyone there?” and he feels a bit foolish for talking to a wooden door, so when he still gets no answer he just lets himself inside.</p><p>The inside of the place is decorated with two glowing star lamps on stone pillars on each side of the door. A towering bookshelf takes up the whole left side of the room. In the center lies a beautiful mahogany desk, and behind it a gigantic moon shaped window. There are chairs and a coffee maker set up on the right side, which is where Lea slides in to sit now. There are stairs leading up, but Lea thinks going up would be some kind of invasion of privacy, so he figures he’ll wait for Yen Sid to come back. As he lets his gaze wander around the room, Lea gets the feeling that he’s entered some study from a time long past. When a few minutes pass and Lea can’t quiet the tapping of his foot against the floor, he gets up and wanders over to the bookshelf. </p><p>“Huh, I wonder what kind of books are in here. Almost feels like some sort of wizard lives here,” Lea comments to himself and amuses himself by running his finger along the spines and stopping at a random book. The book is deep brown with gold lettering on the spine, and Lea brings the book closer in an attempt to make out the faded picture on the spine. He can’t though, so he flips it over to the cover. “That's strange, a book with a lock on it? And a picture of a boy and a bear….weird,” Lea says and puts the book back on the shelf.</p><p>“That book simply appeared on my doorstep one day,” Yen Sid says from somewhere behind Lea, which if anyone asked did not scare him and did not make him jump and scream, thank you very much. </p><p>As Lea tries to calm his beating heart, he turns around and takes a look at Yen Sid. His lengthy grey beard reaches down to his waist and forks towards the end, while his long grey hair hangs neatly behind his back. He has on a dark blue suit which has gold moons and stars embroidered on it that shimmer as he moves. Yen Sid appraises him with a look, and gestures him to the lone chair in front of the desk. </p><p>“So that book randomly appeared one day, locked, on your doorstep and you just decided that that's something perfectly normal and put it on your shelf?” Lea asks as he takes the proffered chair.</p><p>A small smile appears on the corners of Yen Sid’s mouth as he replies “I have tried in vain for years to open the book, or to find whoever dropped it off. I simply decided that just like how it appeared, the answer to my questions regarding that book would be known to me when I am meant to know them.”</p><p><em>Woah, </em> Lea thinks to himself, <em>this guy even talks like a wizard!</em> Lea sheepishly runs his hand through his hair and wonders what kind of places Yen Sid might show him are for sale, or if he secretly is a wizard and the real estate store is a smokescreen for something else. </p><p>“So, you wish to move out of your apartment and find a new home somewhere else?” Yen Sid asks him after a pause in the conversation.</p><p>“Who said anything about moving?” Lea asks.</p><p>“No one, but this is, after all, a Real Estate store, so I assume you are either here to buy, sell, or perhaps both.” </p><p><em>Maybe this guy can read minds, </em> Lea thinks to himself,<em> I never told him I had an apartment</em>. If he can read minds though, Lea immediately starts to panic about what the man could possibly gleam from the inside of his head. <em>Start thinking of something, anything</em> he tells himself, and the lyrics of that pop song Roxas had on at dinner yesterday come to mind and he concentrates so hard on repeating them in his head that it becomes silent again.</p><p>Yen Sid stays silent this time, and Lea just looks at him while thinking of the lyrics to the song, and soon begins to feel ridiculous. “Well I uh, do need to find a new place to live,” he says eventually.</p><p>“Mhm, I see. Where is it you currently live?”</p><p>“We live on 8 Flame Street, apartment 3,” Lea tells him.</p><p>“We?” Yen Sid inquires. </p><p>“Oh yeah, me and my two kids, Roxas and Xion. After the earthquake hit, they were left alone and homeless so I figured I would help them out for a bit. Turns out for a bit became permanent and now I can't afford to keep all of us there, so we gotta move.” </p><p>“Well, that part of town must cost a lot for three people, and must be awfully small,” Yen Sid says.</p><p>“When I originally picked it out I was on my own, and then it was too late to change it so I figured I would try my best and make it work. The rents a little on the high side since I’m so close to The Castle and the town square, but I thought we could manage. Turns out two growing teens sure eat a hell of a lot of food and school is ridiculously expensive. So I don’t have the money to pay the rent and ensure we’re fed and they’re enrolled in school,” Lea finishes lamely.  </p><p>“I see,” Yen Sid says, and stares at Lea as if he were truly trying to look into his soul. As Lea is just about to start thinking of those lyrics again, Yen Sid looks away and begins to shuffle through papers Lea can only assume to be listings on his desk. </p><p>It's quiet for a few moments as Yen Sid looks at the listings and then back up at Lea, almost as if he were sizing him up for the houses. After a few moments he says “So you would most likely like a place that would have three bedrooms, a place with a little more room to walk around in and close to a school?”</p><p>Lea thinks all of those things would be ideal, and he doesn't want to push his luck by adding if it could be somewhere by the sea. He has always loved the sea, and it really has been years since his feet have toed along on the sand and he's felt the salt of the ocean on his skin. The kids would also love the sea; it would give them a place to escape to, to feel the ocean breeze on their skin and make up adventures along the coast. But beggars can't be choosers, so Lea decides to keep that to himself. </p><p>“Yeah, those things would be ideal but I figure that's all going to cost a lot of money, so the main thing would be a place that has three bedrooms.” He made up his mind that the kids and him all needed personal space and he would make that work, no matter the cost. He’ll figure something out later, he always does.</p><p>Yen Sid continues to go through the listings, occasionally muttering some things under his breath. Eventually he reaches a listing that has him rubbing his chin and looking at the paper as if he wished it would catch fire. Finally he looks up at Lea, then back to the paper, and once again back at Lea.</p><p>“....Yes?” Lea timidly asks, and Yen Sid says “There is a place...though I am not sure it's properly suited for you.”</p><p>“And why not?”</p><p>Yen Sid continues to look at him as if he hasn’t heard Lea’s question and then starts up again.</p><p>“Claymore Cottage…three bedrooms...yes that would be perfect...bathroom and kitchen...small garden...located near the train to school and town square…hmmmmmm.”</p><p>“Cottage? How much would a cottage cost?” Lea asks, inwardly feeling the disappointment of having to hear something so perfect be out of his price range.</p><p>“The owner is open to negotiations, but the starting price is ten thousand,” Yen Sid tells him.</p><p>Lea almost lets his jaw drop to the floor. That’s much less than Lea’s rent for a whole year, and that would mean he would finally own his own place. Right now as it stands, when Lea finishes his last shift he’ll have made enough to just pay back the landlord everything. That price is insanely low for all that the cottage offers though he thinks to himself. What's the harm in looking? <em>The harm in looking is that you might look and fall in love with it and not be able to afford it,</em> that voice in his head tells him again. But Lea has always stubbornly followed his heart, and really, it's just a look.  </p><p>“And where is this, uh, clay cottage located?"</p><p>“Ahem, Claymore Cottage” Yen Sid casts a reproachful look at him “is located in Twilight Town.”</p><p>Lea’s heard about the place. All year long, the sunset is always visible and lights up the sky and casts a pleasant glow for hours on end, hence the name Twilight Town.<em> I don't think the seasons change there, </em>Lea thinks to himself, which would make it pleasantly warm and the beautiful sunset sky an added bonus. </p><p>“It seems too good to be true,” Lea says under his breath, but Yen Sid apparently hears him. </p><p>“The owner lives off-world and is eager to sell the place,” Yen Sid informs him.</p><p>“Yeah but no offense, for that cheap there's gotta be something wrong with the place. Leaky pipes, no heat in the winter, dead bodies under the floorboards, ya know, something like that.”</p><p>The look Yen Sid gives him is calculating. “I assure you, the pipes are in excellent order, there is working heat and there are no dead bodies hiding anywhere on the property.”</p><p>“Great. In that case, I wanna see it,” he tells Yen Sid with a smile. </p><p>Yen Sid goes back to not saying anything and just looking at him. Finally he bends down to open a draw and pulls out a key that looks about a thousand years old. It's a muted gold key with pale blue-grey edges, and what looks like some sort or symbol at the head of the key made up of spikes and notches. In short, it looks nothing like the completely ordinary, if slightly rusted key Lea has in his pocket for his apartment. </p><p>The way Yen Sid holds the key in his hand looks like he's trying to divine some great prophecy from it. He smirks, then looks at Lea and says “Yes, I think it will be a most curious match” and walks out the door, gesturing for Lea to follow. Lea walks quickly because wow can this guy take big steps fast, and they board what appears to be Yen Sid’s personal ship to fly to Twilight Town. As Lea steps onto the ship, he can't help but feel like he's embarking on some quest that is going to change his life. He just can't figure out if it's for the better or the worse.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hello once again! hope you all enjoy the little KH references I threw into this chapter, I tried my best to make them work for this setting (which lemme tell you is not as easy as it looks) next chapter finally gives us a glance at the mysterious isa and claymore cottage!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Cottage</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>-as usual, chapter title is a nod to the witcher (vysogotas hut ciri stays in, but we’ll pretend it's a cottage)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As Lea boards the ship, he sends a quick message to Roxas and Xion letting them know he’s going to check out a potential place in Twilight Town and will be back late in the evening. Xion writes back to take lots of pics and Roxas sends back a thumbs up emoji. Lea smiles to himself as he pockets his phone, and turns his attention to settling in for the ride to Twilight Town. </p><p>“I’ve never been to Twilight Town,” Lea says out loud to Yen Sid, “is the ride long?”</p><p>“Twilight Town is about a fifteen minute flight from here,” Yen Sid informs him.</p><p>“Great,” Lea says and sits down in the seat next to Yen Sid. Having been off-world a few times himself in the past, he's none too surprised at the way the ship hovers above the air for a few moments before shooting off quickly into a space portal. <em>Yen Sid must have piloted frequently in the past,</em> he thinks to himself, <em>that take off was smooth.</em> </p><p>And Lea can swear to the high heavens that Yen Sid can read minds because he says “I used to travel all around to different worlds and grew tired of waiting for available ships. So I simply learned to fly for myself to save myself the trouble.” </p><p>“You do a pretty good job of it,” Lea comments, “it’s been a while since I’ve been on a ship but that was the smoothest takeoff I’ve ever had.”</p><p>“The trick is to just concentrate earnestly on your destination, the rest simply comes naturally.”</p><p>After that they lap into a comfortable silence and the minutes, quite literally, fly by. Soon they’re out of the portal and flying slowly towards what looks like the Town Square of Twilight Town. Lea is greeted by a beautiful sunset ablaze with glowing yellows, radiant oranges and warm reds. Knowing the kids would love to see this, he takes out his phone to snap a picture and sends it to them. </p><p>They land towards the back of the Town Square, and as Lea walks out of the ship he is surprised at how pleasant the warm weather feels as it hits his skin. He basks in it, having not enjoyed the warmth of the sun on his skin in earnest in a long time. </p><p>“I figured it would be best for you to get a lay out of the town as we make our way to the cottage,” Yen Sid tells him as he begins walking. “I have been here quite often, so I know the layout of Twilight Town as well as any local here.”</p><p>“This is the Tram Common. The tram over there will take you to various points along Market Street, where you can find a variety of shops and restaurants. Many residents also reside along Market Street, which is made up of various side streets. The school lies along Station Heights, which, as the name suggests, is close to Station Plaza where the train lies.”</p><p>As Lea follows Yen Sid up a hill, he can't help but let his gaze wander. The Tram Common area is full of commotion; a tram is currently departing; people are milling about deciding where to eat; store owners are peddling their goods.<em> This would be a great place for Roxas and Xion,</em> he thinks,<em> they would love to find all the best places to eat and hang out.</em> The high pitched laughter of children running around, the fresh aromas traveling from the restaurants and the ever present glow of the sunset put Lea’s mind immediately at ease. </p><p>“We are going further up Market Street, to the Station Plaza; it is where the Central Station train is which will take us to the cottage. There is a beautiful clock tower that serves as the roof to the train station, and I’ve heard it offers a great view of the sunset, if you can make the long trek up there.” </p><p>Lea continues walking, never stopping his eyes from taking in Market Street. The store signs are lit up advertising their wares, and some people wave at them as they pass by. “This truly is a beautiful town,” Lea says as he turns to Yen Sid, “so I can’t imagine why someone wouldn’t want to live here.”</p><p>“As I said before, the owner lives off world and is eager to sell,” Yen Sid reminds him in a somewhat clipped voice.</p><p><em>Jeez, touchy subject,</em> Lea thinks,<em> I’ll let it drop until we get to the cottage. </em></p><p>As they arrive at Station Plaza, Lea can’t help but gape at the elegant clock tower above Central Station. It is beautifully ornamented with two enormous bronze bells on opposite sides of the clock. The clock itself is a mix of various golden colored gears and Lea can’t help but agree that the ledge above the clock must offer a stunning view of both the town and the sunset. </p><p>As they make their way into the Station, Lea notices a train on one of the tracks. Yen Sid points it out and says “That will be our train, it stops at Sunset Terrace, which is where Claymore Cottage is located. The train line is free for town line stops, which is most fortuitous for us and for you should you choose to move here.”</p><p>As they board the train, Lea can’t help but look at the window and watch the sunset. <em>I could never get sick of a view like this,</em> he thinks to himself. “So mainly everything is located in the Tram Common area?” Lea asks.</p><p>“Yes, although each of the small towns along the train line have stores of their own, they are basically just residential. As a result, many people work on Market Street, so it is easier for them to stay in the area and travel home.”</p><p>“What about the school?”</p><p>“There is only the one located along Station Heights. Since most of Twilight Town’s residents reside in town line stops, it is easy for them to send their children to school on the train, and also free. There is no shortage of trains running during rush hours, so getting to and from areas is quite painless. I think you will also find the fees for the school to be less demanding than those of Radiant Garden.”</p><p><em>Well that's all great news, if only I could find the money to pay for all of this,</em> Lea silently thinks to himself. So far, everything he's seen of Twilight Town has already made him fall in love with the place. It's safe, beautiful and constantly bustling with friendly energy. He can picture the kids running to make the train to be on time for school, making friends and finding all the hidden nooks and crannies of Market Street. </p><p>Before he knows it, the train pulls into Sunset Terrace. Aptly named, Lea thinks, as the sunset is just as glowing here as in the Tram Common, but with less tall buildings. As they walk down the stairs Yen Sid gives him a brief outline of the town. </p><p>“To your right is the small market area where you can find any common necessities you might need. The town’s tram line is also just beyond the shops. Behind us lies the station, and in front of us and to the left are the two paths that lead towards the residential areas. Claymore Cottage is located on the left path, near Sunset Hill.”</p><p>As they walk, Lea takes a few more pictures and sends them off to Roxas and Xion. The houses they pass by are small and quaint, and people are milling about the pathways. The further they walk the less houses they pass until they come to what looks like the end of the path. </p><p>“Claymore Cottage is the last house on this road,” Yen Sid tells him and almost stops short. The stone pathway ends off into a dirt one, and Lea continues the short walk to the cottage. He is not prepared for the sight that greets him. </p><p>The cottage is the last house on the path, with a light grey stone fence snaking around the property. The mailbox stands in front of the fence, a weather beaten off white color. As Lea walks to the edge of the cottage, he can hardly believe his eyes. The beach lies below them, stretching out for miles to the left, as far as the eye can see. Lea takes a deep breath and lets the salt air fill his lungs against the glow of the sunset. <em>This is what home feels like, </em>he thinks to himself.</p><p>Lea turns around to get a proper look at the rest of the cottage. The exterior is made of the same light grey stone as the waist high fence is, and the sky blue shutters on the second floor are just as weather beaten as the mailbox. As he peeks around, he can make out the beginnings of a garden towards the back of the house. There is a small section between the house and the fence where a bench of what could be either grey or silver sits rusted over next to some dead potted plants. The front door matches the weather beaten sky blue shutters right above it with a small window and a brass doorknob. </p><p>Yen Sid appears next to him and holds out the strange key. Lea takes it, and unlocks the door, pocketing the key as he steps into the house. In front of him lies a badly chipping white staircase leading up to the second floor, the living room on the right and the door to the dining room on the left, which also leads into the kitchen. Lea decides to check out the living room first.</p><p>As he steps into the living room, the first thing he notices is a huge painting above the fireplace. The backdrop of the painting is a ship on the ocean, and a man is standing looking out towards the painter. The man in question seems to be staring right at Lea with his marine colored eyes and his mouth is set in a stern line. The bangs of his blue hair spike slightly upward before laying flat and meeting the rest of his hair, although a few strands are framing his face. The rest of his hair hangs long down his back. What interests Lea the most is the cross shaped scar that rests on the middle of his face between his eyes. <em>What a story that must be,</em> Lea thinks as he takes in the rest of the man's appearance. He is wearing a white and blue uniform with a crescent moon emblazoned on one side, and as Lea steps closer to take a look he finds that both of the man's ears are pierced. For a minute he swears that the painting winks at him, but honestly that must have been a trick of the light.</p><p>“Who is this painting of?” Lea asks.</p><p>“That is Isa, the captain of The Luna Diviner. He is the late owner of this cottage. Follow me into the dining room,” and Yen Sid doesn't even wait for Lea’s answer before he is out of the room. As Lea leaves to walk to the dining room, he turns back to the painting, unable to shake the feeling he is being watched by Isa. <em>But that's ridiculous, paintings aren't alive,</em> Lea thinks rationally to himself as he leaves the room. </p><p>The dining room is modestly furnished with a table big enough to seat six surrounded by a china cabinet on the right side of the room. The wallpaper is peeling off from the wall, where a bunch of paintings of various sizes hang all depicting various ocean scenes. Lea steps up to the table, and a thick layer of dust comes off the table as Lea drags his finger on it. </p><p>“This place must not have been lived in for years,” Lea says, wiping his dusty finger on his jeans.</p><p>“No,” Yen Sid says, “let us go to the kitchen.”</p><p>Lea has already been able to glance at the kitchen, since there is no wall separating the two rooms, but a huge white marble countertop. As they make their way into the kitchen, the dust is just as heavy here as in the dining room. Lea marvels at how much space the kitchen affords; the refrigerator is huge and can hold plenty of food; the stove is not too old and the counterspace to cook and chop next is dusty, but offers plenty of room. Four people could easily move about the kitchen and not bump into each other.</p><p>“If you look out the window over the counter, you will notice the yard area,” Yen Sid points out to Lea. </p><p>Lea looks out the window and is met with the sight of some sort of tree that looks as if it's been struck by lightning and set on fire. A horrible twisted black tree, and Lea can't help but picture cutting it down and seeing the glow of the sunset instead. </p><p>“What is that tree?”</p><p>“That tree must have been planted when Captain Isa was on the property, no one knows where it came from or what it is. It has also resisted multiple efforts to be removed, so we simply left it there.”</p><p><em>That’s odd,</em> Lea thinks, and as he looks at the counter he notices the newspaper on the table is dated from last week, and there are dirty pans in the skin. </p><p>“I thought you said no one has lived here for years?” Lea asks.</p><p>“And no one has. Someone was by to clean up the place” Yen Sid tells him.</p><p>Lea raises his eyebrow at that, and pointedly runs his finger along the dusty countertop. </p><p>“At any rate, she did come by and clean the living room, but she must have left before getting to the other rooms. I found the key in an envelope on my doorstep and she never came to collect her pay. There is only the upstairs left if you wish to see it,” Yen Sid tells him.</p><p>Lea thinks this is all rather odd because why would she not finish the job she was hired for, but goes up the stairs nonetheless. Once at the top, the bathroom is located on the left, while the three rooms are on the right side. The two smallest rooms are first, and the master bedroom is last. The two small bedrooms are perfect and will provide the kids with their own space to decorate and retreat to. </p><p>As Lea steps into the master bedroom, he is in awe of how much space there is. The king bed lies on the right, next to the door to the private bathroom. A small nightstand stands next to the bed, along with an armchair and a closet on the left side of the room. There are bay windows which open and face the sea, and Lea can picture sitting there just watching the horizon. There is a telescope standing to the side of the window and Lea can’t help but feel that there is something about this room that gives off a strange energy. He decides to open the window to let some air in, so he does that and stands back. </p><p>“There’s something about this room,” he says out loud.</p><p>Suddenly, the bay window slams shut, even though there was hardly even a breeze when Lea opened it just a few seconds ago. The room feels cold, and someone starts to laugh, building in volume. Lea stares at Yen Sid, but sees the man is not laughing and is instead taking Lea by the shoulder and leading him out of the house.</p><p>“I knew something was up with this house,” Lea says. “The price was too cheap for a place this big and located in such a nice town and now I figured out what it is. The place is haunted!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>WHEW my longest chapter to date and I did promise a glimpse of Isa and the cottage, so I wanted to do them both justice! fear not, next chapter has our two boys meeting...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Dream</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>chapter warning: suicide is only mentioned but not described, see end notes if you want a summary/when the skip reading</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The wind seems to suddenly pick up, almost as if it were trying to blow Lea away from the cottage. Lea and Yen Sid walk to the beginning of the stone path, and turn around to look at the cottage. Before Lea can ask Yen Sid further about what just happened, Yen Sid holds up a hand to him.</p><p>“I know you must have some questions. Let me tell you first of the history of this house and maybe some shall be answered. This listing was given to me ten years ago, and in these last ten years I have only managed to sell the place to four people. Of those four people, the longest time anyone has lasted in that house has been twenty four hours before they return to me demanding I let them out of the lease and find them a different home. I, of course, knowing exactly why they demand that, do just that. The owner simply just writes me back ‘counting on you to sell it’ every time I inform him about the state of the cottage. I rarely show the cottage anymore because this is exactly what happens,” Yen Sid informs him in a tired tone.</p><p>“I guess there’s only so much you can blame on the wind and creaky stairs before you start to realize that it's not your imagination running wild,” Lea says.</p><p>“Truly. I had that same feeling you did in the master bedroom when I first saw the place, as if there were an uneasy atmosphere. And it is not without good reason,” Yen Sid tells him.</p><p>“Why, what happened?” Lea asks.</p><p>“Ten years ago, the crew of The Luna Diviner came up to check on their Captain when he didn't show up for their next departure. When they arrived, they found him slumped over in his armchair, as if he were sleeping. When they went to rouse him they found out he was dead. Not much is known what happened afterwards, as Isa was a very solitary figure and kept to himself when he was at the cottage. The ship and its crew seemingly vanished, and his death was ruled a suicide,” Yen Sid tells him on their walk back to the the Sunset Terrace train station. </p><p>“So what, he haunts the cottage because he's unhappy or something?” Lea questions.</p><p>“Did that laugh sound like he was unhappy to you? No, I have no clue why he haunts the cottage. But he’s been there ever since and drives everyone away. Truth be told I have not even seen the listing to that house in years when it suddenly appeared in that pile I was browsing for you,” Yen Sid informs him.</p><p>As they arrive at the Sunset Terrace train station, Lea can’t help but wonder about the whole affair. The cottage could do with some fixing up, and Twilight Town is the perfect place for two growing teens to branch out. <em> I’m not going to let some ghost drive me away from here, </em> Lea thinks to himself.</p><p>“I’d like to buy the place,” he says out loud and the look Yen Sid gives him is worth a thousand suns. Yen Sid stands there quietly with a disbelieved expression looking over Lea, as if he were afraid maybe Lea would disappear next.  </p><p>“Nothing I say to you will deter you in trying to secure the place?”</p><p>“Nope, I want it. Ghost or no ghost it is a beautiful cottage, and Xion and Roxas would love Twilight Town,” he tells Yen Sid.</p><p>“In that case, I will let you buy the cottage only if you spend one day and night there. If the ghost of Captain Isa doesn’t scare you away like the others, then we have a deal,” Yen Sid says to him as they board the train back.</p><p>Lea sits on the seat, staring out the train window thinking about how insane this all is. He tries to convince himself that maybe he just imagined the laugh, but the way Yen Sid talks about Isa makes him think that this is all real. <em>Too bad for this Isa fellow, because I’m not afraid of ghosts and I’m not going to let this one chase me out of a great deal.</em> </p><p>Before Lea knows it, they are back on board Yen Sid’s ship and flying back to Radiant Garden. He sends the kids a quick text he’ll be home shortly, and he imagines they’re going to have questions about the place. <em>I won’t tell them about this ghost,</em> Lea thinks, better not fill their heads or make them worried.</p><p>“I will have to take a day off from work in order to spend the day, so let me see what day they can let me take and get back to you on that,” Lea tells Yen Sid as they make their way towards MT Real Estate. </p><p>“Of course, please let me know and I will drop you off myself, and should you need to leave before the day is over you can contact me at this number,” Yen Sid says while handing Lea his business card. “My personal number is on the back, feel free to call me there should you need anything.”</p><p>“Sounds good, thank you again for all of your help, you’ll be hearing from me soon,” and with a friendly wave to Yen Sid, Lea turns away and begins his walk home. </p><p>His mind racing a million miles an hour about what could happen spending a night with that laugh and all that dust dulls Lea’s spirit a bit, but he immediately changes tune seeing how Xion and Roxas light up when they see him enter the door. </p><p>“So what kind of restaurants are there? And see any kids our age around? Been to the beach?” Roxas rapidly fires at him as he takes his shoes off.</p><p>“Roxas let the poor man breathe a little, and lets get some dinner in him and he can tell us all about Twilight Town,” Xion says while getting leftovers out from the fridge.</p><p>Lea smiles at the both of them and sits down to dinner in their cramped apartment and can't help but picture the spacious dining room and kitchen back at the cottage. As he tells them all about the sights and sounds of Twilight Town and Claymore Cottage, he sees their excitement and happiness in having found a potential place to live. He conveniently leaves out the mysterious Isa, and the kids seem to love the place from the pictures and Lea’s description. As he gets ready for bed he can’t help but wonder if he’s already sold the place to the kids and will just have to break their hearts if he can’t last the twenty four hours there. <em> I’m going to give this Isa fellow a talking to, and he’s going to stop all this funny business</em> Lea thinks. If not for his sake then for Roxas and Xion.</p><p>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>The next three days pass in a blur, with the kids gone for longer periods of the day trying to take more odd jobs and shifts around Radiant Garden. Lea didn’t ask them to, but he knows they probably feel guilty, which they one hundred percent shouldn’t, and they just are that good that they want to help. Lea comes home from his shifts exhausted and eats dinner and begins helping Roxas and Xion pack their tiny apartment up. It's amazing how much of their lives fit into all these boxes, and Lea can’t help but feel stressed and anxious about his upcoming stay at Claymore Cottage. He told Roxas and Xion it was to test the place out and experience the neighborhood and they both agreed that was a smart thing to do. He does feel a little guilty about not telling them about the ghost, but he doesn't want to scare them. Lea wakes bright and early on the fourth day and makes his way over to MT Real Estate. Yen Sid is waiting for him outside and beckons him to follow him to his ship. Once there, Lea sets his overnight bag down and buckles in for the ride.</p><p>“My offer still stands, should you need anything or want to leave the cottage early,” Yen Sid reminds him.</p><p>“Thank you, but no ghost is gonna scare me away from a place that great. Besides, Roxas and Xion already have their hearts set on it, so this Isa guy is gonna have to go find somewhere else to haunt,” Lea tells him matter of factly. </p><p>Yen Sid huffs an amused laugh out. “If you think so Lea.”</p><p>Before they know it, the familiar sunset hues grace them as Yen Sid lands in Twilight Town’s Tram Common area. “Do you need me to accompany you to the cottage?” Yen Sid asks as Lea gets up and slings his overnight bag over his shoulder.</p><p>“Thanks, but I’m good. I’m going to pick up some food for dinner later from one of the places here on the way over there, and also check around for any home improvement stores on my way to the station, but I appreciate the offer,” Lea says and flashes a smile at Yen Sid.</p><p>“Very well then. I hope you are more successful than my last clients, although something tells me you might be,” Yen Sid says, the last part said so softly Lea almost misses it. Choosing not to comment on it, Lea gives Yen Sid a friendly wave before walking into the hustle and bustle of the Tram Common. Most places are just getting started for the day, but there is such a delicious aroma coming from one of the places on the right Lea just follows his nose.</p><p>“Huh, Le Grand Bistrol,” Lea says as he takes a look at the menu. “Mushroom Terrine, Consomme, Sweetbread Poele...what does any of this even mean?” Lea says out loud to no one in particular. </p><p>“Aye laddie, around here folks just call it The Bistro, and all those meals you listed are all one hundred percent perfection,” someone says from behind him in a thick accent.</p><p>As Lea turns around, he is greeted by none other than Scrooge McDuck, who used to sell him his favorite sea salt ice cream bars back in Radiant Garden before he went to set up a new business off world, leaving his nephews in charge. </p><p>“Lea, good to see you! And in my neck of the woods now, whatever are you doing here?” McDuck asks.</p><p>“Good to see you too, just checking in on that delicious sweet aroma,” he tells him.</p><p>“Ah, still got that sweet tooth I see! Fear not, for in addition to The Bistro I do still sell my ice cream here as well, and your favorite flavor is well in stock! What you are smelling is our delicious Ratatouille, which is excellently made and a favorite of the town.” </p><p><em>Geez, has it been a long time since I’ve had sea salt ice cream, and now I can think of nothing but that and this Ratatouille, </em> Lea thinks to himself. “Would it be possible to get one of each then, I’m kind of in a hurry to check out a potential home here in Twilight Town,” Lea tells him.</p><p>“Of course laddie! Nothing but the finest food comes from The Bistro and no one can resist the delicious flavors of ice cream I offer,” Scrooge says as he rings Lea up and hands him the ice cream bar and a bag with the Ratatouille to go. <em>Whatever a Ratatouille is, it sure does smell delicious.</em></p><p>“Make sure to come by for a sit down dinner next time!” McDuck calls to him as Lea leaves. He gives him a thumbs up and a wave, and continues up to Market Street, always taking in the sights and sounds of all the various stores and shops. He eats his ice cream bar along the way, savoring the salty sweet taste of the blue treat he hasn't had in so long. Before long, he’s at the Station Plaza and waiting for the next available train. Yen Sid had given him a visitors pass for the day, which allows him to access the train line for free. </p><p>As Lea sits down on the train when it arrives, his previous giddiness he felt throughout the early morning starts to disappear into a clammy nervousness. <em>What if Isa chases me out as soon as I get there, what if he plays mean tricks on me, what if I have to disappoint the kids and Yen Sid when I say I can’t take the place?</em> “Let's just get there,” he says under his breath, and fidgets the rest of the train ride over. As he exits the train at Sunset Terrace, even the beautiful sunset rays can’t calm his mind. The walk over to the cottage steels his nerves a bit, because no ghost is going to ruin this. If not for him, then for the kids who deserve a great place to call their own. His mind a bit more steady, he steps into the doorway of Claymore Cottage and turns the key. He is relieved to find that Isa does not jump out at him or have a bucket of water fall on him as the door opens, and figures that's as good a start as any. </p><p>To keep his mind occupied, he sets about cleaning the cottage up. Even if he doesn’t wind up buying the place at least it's a way to direct his nervous energy at, and he doesn’t mind the task. He discovers a closet that when opened reveals a washing machine but no dryer, but figures that will do for now. He peeks his head out of the kitchen door at the sorry state of the yard to discover there is a clothesline, so that's where he’ll hang the laundry once it's done. He strips all the beds and throws the pillows and sheets into the wash, and sets about dusting up the place while the load washes. It’s mindless busy work, and by the time he hangs the laundry up he’s got most of the place dust free and feels exhausted. But first, a quick bite to eat of that Ratatouille. </p><p>As he opens it up, he starts to inspect the artful masterpiece in front of him. It looks like an all vegetable dish, but smells of basil and garlic drift towards him as he cuts a slice of the circular arranged veggies. He finds the microwave is surprisingly clean and heats up his food. As he sits at the dining room table, Lea can’t help but think all of it is already dreadfully domestic and perfect. One third of the Ratatouille devoured, Lea sets the rest aside for dinner and feels sluggishly full and tired.</p><p>“A little nap won’t hurt me,” he says, and then immediately begins to feel that it just might. Seeing as all the sheets are hanging to dry, Lea sits down in the armchair in the master bedroom, forgetting it was the same one the crew found Isa in. <em> Maybe all this stuff about Isa haunting this place was made up, it’s been pretty quiet so far,</em> Lea thinks before he drifts off to sleep.</p><p>He dreams of Captain Isa standing there in the room with him. Isa is faintly taller than Lea, slightly broad shouldered with that blue hair that hangs elegantly along his face. He paces around the room as if he's aboard a ship and he's trying to run the planks ragged. His outfit is not like the one in the painting, but much more laid back. His shirt is navy blue with a crescent moon on one side, and his pants are black. At one point he even comes close and leans down and looks at Lea with a hint of a smile in those piercing blue eyes and a slight smirk. Nothing suggests any kind of fear like he felt when he heard that mysterious laugh appear put of nowhere. Isa goes over to the bay window, the same one that slammed shut, and opens it. He resumes his pacing and glances over at Lea occasionally. </p><p>When Lea wakes up, he feels as if the dream was in fact real that he opens his eyes and almost expects to see Isa there with him. <em>But of course not, why would he be here? He’s not real after all, it was just a vivid dream from looking at that painting earlier today</em> he thinks to himself as he shivers, noticing the bay window open.</p><p>“Huh, I don’t remember opening you,” Lea says as he gets up to close the window.</p><p>“That is because you did not,” a rich deep voice behind him says, and Lea can feel the exact moment his heart must give out. Rationally, he thinks, this should not be happening and if he turns around, he might just find an empty room. Of course, this does not happen. He turns around, half expecting the empty room and a trick of the wind. However, he finds Isa leaning in the doorway of the bedroom appearing exactly as he did in the dream Lea just had.</p><p>They both stand there, on opposite sides of the room just looking at each other and not speaking. Isa has that slight mischievous smirk on, while Lea imagines he must suddenly look very pale. </p><p>“You will leave just like all the others,” Isa says before disappearing before Lea’s eyes. Lea goes to sit back down in the armchair with his thumb and pointer finger clutching at the temples on his head, suddenly feeling even more tired than before. “What have I gotten myself into,” he asks the empty room, but this time he gets only silence in return.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>suicide warning: yen sid tells lea that isa died and his death was ruled as such. it is not discussed in any detail, only just mentioned, but if you don't feel comfortable reading read up to "Not much is known what happened afterwards, as Isa was a very solitary figure and kept to himself when he was at the cottage." and then skip one sentence down to "So what, he haunts the cottage because he's unhappy or something?”</p><p>Ok so I know I said last chapter they would meet, (and technically they did a little) but this chapter just got away from me and I didn’t want to rush through them meeting but next chapter I promise (for real this time, it's already half written)!!!</p><p>and thank you all for the hits/kudos/comments so far, you all are too kind :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Compromise</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>just as the last chapter, suicide warning- just a mention, nothing more but skip to end notes on where to read to avoid/summary of it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After having his minor existential crisis at seeing and hearing Isa, Lea continues to lay in the chair. <em>I really need to get up and take the laundry in so I can have bedding to go to sleep on, if I make it that long.</em> He begrudgingly gets up, afraid that Isa will loosen a wooden step on him as he walks down to go out into the garden. He doesn’t, but that somehow doesn't make Lea feel any better. The laundry is dry thanks to the pleasant heat of the day, and Lea takes a moment to turn his face to the sun and bask in it. Returning back inside, he makes the beds and searches for something else to do. Not feeling all that hungry at the moment and still slightly unsettled from that encounter with Isa, Lea decides to walk to the beach.</p><p>As he locks the front door, he stands awkwardly in front of it, half poised to turn around. “I hope you give me a chance, this is a second chance for me to start over” he says out loud and before he can hear if Isa answers him he walks quickly away to the path at the end of the cottage. Yen Sid was right in saying that Claymore Cottage was in the Sunset Hill district of Sunset Terrace; the cottage is situated overlooking the beach with a pathway tucked against the right side of the original cobblestone path. Lea walks down it now, already feeling the sand get into his shoes. Once at the bottom, he takes his shoes and socks off and relishes the feeling of walking barefoot on the warm sand. Always on the hunt for cool rocks he can add to their collection, he combs the wet sand where all kinds of shells and rocks have washed up. He pockets a few, and then wades ankle deep into the cold water and just stands there. All the troubles and stress of the past week seem to roll away like the tide, and all Lea can fixate on in the moment is how calm the sea makes him. <em> I haven’t been to the beach in ages, and I sure am happy to be here now. </em> As he stands there, the water crashes around his ankles and soaks his pants, but he finds he could care less. His pocket heavy with his beach finds, he makes his way back to the path leading back to Claymore Cottage. </p><p>He forgoes putting his shoes back on, and climbs the pathway up. At the top, the cottage looms in front of him, and he remembers that Isa is inside and has most likely come up with some plot to get him out of the house. <em> I hope he talks to me again, because I want to tell him that I’m not leaving this place. </em> Lea goes inside and puts his beach finds out on the counter while he heats up some of the Ratatouille. Or, he should say he attempts to heat it up in the microwave, but the microwave refuses to open. </p><p>“Wow, very mature here. I spent all day cleaning this place up and you can’t even let me eat my food now.”</p><p>Lea gets no answer, so he goes to heat his food up in the oven instead. <em> It’ll take longer, but hopefully I can eat at least. </em> As opposed to the microwave not opening, the oven opens, but refuses to turn on no matter how many times Lea turns the dial back and forth. Hungry and now angry at this point, Lea exclaims “FINE. You win, I can’t heat up my dinner. But if the goal was to starve me out, you’re out of luck. I brought some snacks with me.” </p><p>So he sits at the table with his bag of potato chips and a glass of water, thinking about how nice that Ratatouille would have been. “It’s funny, before today I didn’t even know what Ratatouille was and now all I can think about is how good it is,” and he swears he hears an amused huff from somewhere in the room. <em> So, Isa is here and listening, just choosing not to show himself. Interesting. </em> Finishing his sad excuse for a meal, Lea gets up and goes to wash the rocks and shells off in the sink. He starts to hum some song Roxas always has on, and when he picks up the fourth rock, a cool black with silver streaks in it, “Who are these all for?” is asked by someone suddenly materializing right beside him. Lea almost drops the rock in the sink and clutches his chest because wow Isa must be trying to kill him to get him out of here with the way his heart is beating right now, and as he turns to Isa he finds the man looking at him.</p><p>Still slightly angry that the man next to him didn’t let him have his dinner he says “What’s it to ya? You make me hungry but now wanna know about my life?” And resumes cleaning. After a few tense moments pass, Lea looks over to find that Isa has leaned back against the counter and has his eyes closed. Feeling somewhat sorry for the man who hasn’t had company in ten years, Lea relents. </p><p>“Back in my soon to be vacant apartment in Radiant Garden, there's a bowl filled with odd looking rocks we find around the town. I figured I would pick some up to add to the collection, and the kids would love to see some seashells.”</p><p>“Kids?” Isa asks, and Lea can hear the unfriendly tone in his voice.</p><p>“Yes kids, as in two of them. Teenagers in fact, Roxas and Xion. They’re the best things to ever happen to me, and we’re all going to be living here.” Lea says the last sentence with conviction, letting his pride and fierce protectiveness kick in over Roxas and Xion.  </p><p>“You say that as if you already have this place secured,” Isa says, mildly amused. </p><p>“I’ve gotten this far. I’m sure you never had a conversation with any of the other people you’ve chased out of here, so I wonder why you’re talking with me?” </p><p>“The last person to stay here was about four years ago. It gets awfully dull here all alone, and then there was the woman who came to clean the place last week. I’ve made sure this cottage has a bad reputation so people don’t come here and bother me,” Isa tells him.</p><p>Having enough of his superior attitude, Lea erupts. “You say you get bored here, yet chase out anyone who wants to live here! Maybe if you didn’t kill yourself, you would have been able to enjoy this place!” </p><p>“Kill myself?!” Isa roars at him, “I did no such thing! One night I go to sleep with a slight stomach ache, next thing I know I wake up and I’m looking over my body laying in the armchair. My crew were around me, but I was too weak to answer them and faded out for some time until I eventually opened my eyes to find out I was back in the cottage. By that time some weeks had passed and I had heard my crew and the Luna Diviner had disappeared. I tried to think of anything that could have made me sick, and that’s when I realized.”</p><p>“Realized what?” Lea asks, aware that this is the most Isa has ever spoken to him and the mystery around his death intrigued Lea ever since Yen Sid told him about it.</p><p>Isa looks over at Lea now. Gone is the smug expression from his face, for a brief second Lea can see the genuine hurt in his eyes. Then his face contorts back into a blank slate. “One of my crew members poisoned me. Xemnas and I had gotten into a disagreement over which world to travel to next, and so he decided to take me out of the picture. That night, I drank from a bottle of wine he had given me, and shortly after I started feeling sick and feverish. I fell asleep in the armchair, too exhausted and too hot to move but also angry that something like this would happen to me. At the time, I didn’t know I was poisoned, but I was angry enough anyway that I think that’s why I became a ghost.” </p><p>Lea is almost too stunned to answer. Mutiny and murder are definetly not something he wants to be involved in, but he thinks he’s already too far into it now to quit. “Is that why you opened the window while I was asleep, you didn’t want me to get too warm?”</p><p>“The fresh sea breeze never hurt anyone,” Isa tells him somewhat defensively. He watches as Lea finishes rinsing off the items from the beach and sets them out on paper towels to dry. Lea, hands now empty of a distraction, begins to fidget standing up under Isa’s gaze, and Isa hears his stomach rumble.</p><p>With a wave of his hand Isa says “You can eat now. I’ve taken up too much of your time already,” and just as he is about to disappear he hears Lea say “I wouldn’t mind the company.”</p><p>That stops Isa dead in his tracks. No one has wanted his company in years, and yet suddenly this red haired guy comes along and makes himself at home and isn’t afraid of him. Lea is looking at him now, too friendly in his demeanor and there is no fear or disgust in his gaze. Isa cautiously sits down at the table, while Lea can now finally open the microwave and heat up his meal. </p><p>“If you can eat, you’re welcome to some of this,” Lea says, sitting down and gesturing to the leftover Ratatouille. Once again, Isa is momentarily stunned that someone is showing him this much kindness. “Thank you for the offer, but there is nothing I need as a ghost,” Isa tells him. </p><p>A few minutes pass by in silence as Lea eats. Isa takes this time to properly look at Lea. They are about the same height, but Lea’s electric red hair is more wild and unruly than his own. His eyes are crystal green, and his outfit is a simple black shirt with a checkered black and red pocket with black jeans. Isa knows his boots are at the foot of the door since he walked back from the beach barefoot and covered with sand. He sees no wedding band on his hands and is curious about the two kids he spoke of earlier, Roxas and Xion.</p><p>Isa’s curiosity gets the better of him. “Why are you the only one visiting the cottage?”</p><p>“Oh, I told Roxas and Xion it was to get a feel for the neighborhood, but it’s really because Yen Sid said I have to stay a night before he sold me the place. I didn’t want to tell the kids about you because I didn’t want them to worry about me,” Lea finishes sheepishly while scratching the back of his head.</p><p>“Surely then, your significant other must be worried you are here on your own.”</p><p>The laugh that wrings out of Lea is unexpected, and Isa looks at Lea while the other just continues laughing. Feeling awkward and laughed at, Isa gets up and is tempted to leave again, but just as before Lea stops him, this time by raising a hand to his shoulder. It passes right through him, and that manages to shut Lea up. </p><p>“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that,” Lea says as he jerks his hand back like he’s been burned. Lea holds his hands in his lap, and the silence hangs over them. Lea is the first to break it by saying “I wasn’t laughing at you before, just at the idea of you thinking I'm married with kids. I'm not married and Roxas and Xion aren't my biological kids. Two years ago, Radiant Garden was hit by an earthquake, and a lot of people lost their homes and their families. Roxas and Xion unfortunately fell into that boat, and I kept seeing them around when the rebuilding was happening and I took them in, saying it was only temporary. Of course, it didn’t turn out that way and everyone at home said I wouldn’t manage to make it long on my salary now having to account for two teens. They were right of course, and now we’re here. I was late on the rent again, so the landlord said two weeks and we’re out of there since the lease is up. This place is the cheapest on the market right now, and I still can’t afford it.”</p><p>Isa studies Lea as he says all of that. Lea looks crestfallen in saying that he can’t afford a nice place for them to live, and that basically they’ll be without a place to live in a few days. <em> I can’t believe he would just take in two children like that, that must not have been an easy adjustment for him. </em> “Why did you let them stay?”</p><p>Lea sighs and looks out the window instead of answering Isa right away. When he talks, he talks to the window, refusing to look at Isa. “When I was growing up, I always wanted to be remembered. I was a lonely kid, so I always tried to make friends and hoped that everyone would remember me. My parents were away working off world a lot, so for most of my life it always has been just me. I learned real quick that you can’t really rely on anyone, and grew up learning to just rely on myself. When I saw Roxas and Xion hanging around, it reminded me of myself at that age. They looked and felt just as lost as I did, and I figured I could at least give them a chance at some kind of normalcy. When they opened up to me and began laughing and goofing around, I found out that I couldn't imagine my life without them because it was both the happiest and also the most stressed out I’ve ever been in my life. On one hand, I was happy for the company and for their trust in me, but on the other we were cramped into my one bedroom apartment and always in need of money. They never complained though, and always helped out around the house and reminded me to eat more times than I’ll admit,” Lea laughs quietly to himself. “I wanted them to have the shot at the life I never had, to know that I always have their backs and I’ll always be there for them.” </p><p>Isa listens, the whole time forming his final opinion on Lea and the state of the cottage. Lea just bared his soul to a complete stranger, and a ghost at that. <em> I can relate to growing up lonely and learning quick to rely on yourself and trust no one, </em> Isa thinks to himself. Looking at Lea, Isa would guess they are around the same age. <em> If only we met when we were younger, maybe things would have been different for the both of us. </em> Looking back to Lea, who is still turned away from him, his mind is made up. </p><p>“You don’t have to worry about finding a place, you can have this one. I have not had company in so long, and the cottage is in disrepair. You can do what you like to it, on one condition-you must move my picture into the master bedroom. I understand you not wanting to frighten Roxas and Xion, so my presence will be known to only you. It would be good to have some life brought back into this place, and if anyone is deserving of a good place to stay it is you and the two children. You have all been through enough that I do not wish to add to your hurt.”</p><p>At this, Lea turns and looks at Isa, really looks at him. Isa does not imagine the faint glint of tears in his eyes, nor the disbelief he wears so openly at hearing Isa’s words. They both sit there, silently looking at each other as if they were both ghosts and afraid each other would disappear. Finally, Lea smiles, a small smile tinged with sadness.</p><p>“While that’s all great and dandy, and I appreciate you understanding that I don’t want to freak the kids out over you being a ghost and all that, I still don’t have enough money to buy this place. I figured I would deal with that if I managed to stay the night in one piece.”</p><p>“I can offer you a solution there as well. In the garden under the tree, there are some items from my travels that I am sure can be sold for a great deal of money. It is always why I resisted any efforts to uproot the tree. There is also hidden money along with the items, enough to buy this cottage and finance the repairs as well as having some money on the side. All in all, it will set you up nicely,” Isa finishes. </p><p>Lea cannot believe what he is hearing. A few hours ago, Isa was trying to throw him out of the house, and now he is saying Lea can live here and to take his hidden money to buy the cottage. <em> Maybe I never woke up from that nap, </em> Lea thinks, <em> because I surely still must be dreaming. </em></p><p>“I assure you, you are not dreaming and that this is very much real.”</p><p>“You can hear my thoughts?!” Lea exclaims. </p><p>“Apologies, sometimes when emotions are very strong I can hear people’s thoughts. I assure you it is not intentional.”</p><p>At this point, nothing surprises Lea anymore. The ghost of a sea captain sits at the table with him and is offering him money to buy the cottage and can read his mind. This is just what his life is now. Yawning, Lea gets up from the table and stretches.</p><p>“I still can’t believe this is happening,” Lea says, chuckling to himself. “Thank you,” he says more seriously. “This is exactly the fresh start we needed, and now thanks to you we’ll get it. Twilight Town is a great place, and I’m happy Roxas and Xion get to grow up and start a new chapter of their life here. I hope they’ll be happy here,” Lea says, sighing. </p><p>“And you, do you think you’ll be happy here?” Isa asks.</p><p>Lea takes a few moments to answer. When he does, he looks at Isa, and for the first time that night, he looks genuinely happy. “Yes,” Lea says after a few moments, “I think I will be.”</p><p>Lea walks to the entrance of the kitchen, feeling tired. He hadn’t realized how much time had passed, and how exhausted he was from the day's adventures. Isa walks behind him, and Lea is amazed at how real his presence feels. Once in the doorway, Lea turns to look at Isa.</p><p>“I don’t know about you, but I am exhausted after the day I’ve had,” Lea says with a laugh. “Not sure if it’s normal to wish a ghost goodnight or not, but nothing about today has been normal. So, goodnight Isa. And thank you. It’s a fresh start for all of us, you included. I’m guessing I will see you in the morning.”</p><p>“Good night Lea. I will be here when you wake.”</p><p>With that, Lea turns around and heads up the stairs to his bedroom. He showers and gets ready for bed. As he lays down, he can’t help but smile to himself. “What a day I’ve had. I argued and then befriended a ghost and secured the cottage.” As he drifts off to sleep, it's to the image of Isa standing in the room, looking out at the sea from the opened window.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>suicide mention- just as last time it is only mentioned, not described. the summary is that lea asks isa why he died, and isa tells him he was poisoned. for those who wish to skip read up to "Having enough of his superior attitude, Lea erupts." and then skip to "One night I go to sleep with a slight stomach ache," </p><p>WHEW lots of dialogue and my longest chapter!! I'm not sure I'm happy with this chapter, but after all my little tweaks and rewrites I figured I'd just leave it be. Things are finally looking up for the sea salt crew!! in the upcoming chapters we'll be introduced to a lot of familiar faces so stay tuned!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Two Locks, Two Keys</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lea wakes up the next morning before his alarm. The window is slightly open and a pleasant breeze filters into the room. Lea just lays in bed for a few minutes, replaying last night's conversation with Isa in his head. He can’t believe he told Isa about his own sad childhood and Isa had told him if they had met as children maybe things would be different. That struck a chord in Lea, trying to imagine a young Isa and him having adventures and taking on the world together. They could have been anything they wanted, but then again maybe Lea would have left Radiant Garden sooner, and he never would have met Roxas and Xion. Maybe his life would be something different, maybe he could have helped Isa that night he died. <em> Too many what if’s so early in the day, if I go down that path I might never stop. </em> Deciding he’s spent too much time in bed already, he rolls over to get up and check his phone. He sees Xion and Roxas have texted him asking how his night went, so he gets up and takes a selfie by the opened window with the beautiful sunset sky lighting up the morning and sends it to them. When he turns around from the window, Isa is sitting in the armchair and Lea can swear maybe this time Isa is trying to kill him because his heart really can’t take these surprise unannounced visits. </p><p>Still clutching his phone in one hand and the other hand over his chest he says “Jeez Isa, trying to kill me after you just gave me this place? Changed your mind already huh.”</p><p>Isa huffs out what could be considered a laugh. “Are you always this dramatic?”</p><p>Lea laughs and sends the selfie to the kids, making sure to ask them if they’ve eaten breakfast and letting them know he’ll be back soon. As he checks his phone, he sees that Yen Sid has left him a message saying he will meet him in Twilight Town in four hours. “Yen Sid is picking me up in Twilight Town in four hours, plenty of time to find your hidden treasure right?”</p><p>“Get dressed. I will meet you in the yard.” And just like that, Isa disappears. <em>Show off,</em> Lea thinks, but gets dressed and heads downstairs anyway. He stops to eat a quick breakfast bar and get a drink of water before heading outside. Lea surveys the yard from the last time he saw it, and really thinks it could do with a lot of tender love and care. Plus this tree Isa planted is just so ugly and strange looking.</p><p>“I heard that,” Isa says, coming to stand next to Lea and giving him a disapproving glare. </p><p>“Come on, you have to admit that it just sticks out here and hides so much of the sky! Plus I’m sure this tree doesn’t bloom so it doesn’t have any pretty flowers or anything. Lea steps back and takes a look at the twisted black limbs of the tree. “Where did you even find this?”</p><p>Isa is silent for a few beats. “On my travels, and that’s the end of that. If you want the money dig there,” he says, gesturing to the spot to the right of the tree. </p><p><em> Touchy subject I guess, </em> Lea thinks, as he bends down and starts to dig with an ancient looking shovel he found abandoned in the weeds. It’s honest work and Lea doesn’t mind the silence as much as he thought he would. <em> Isa is a man of little words, but I can roll with that. </em> Like this, time passes and before long Lea hits something solid. As he digs it out, he discovers it is a chest. “How very pirate-like of you,” Lea says as he hauls the chest out. </p><p>The chest is heavy, and Lea’s curiosity is spiked even more when he realizes it’s locked and requires two keys. “How am I supposed to open this?” Lea asks as he turns to Isa. </p><p>“You already have one of the keys,” Isa tells him. </p><p>Lea feels his pocket and pulls out the only key he’s received since coming here. “I always thought this key looked too important to be just for a door lock. I’m guessing the other key is somewhere nearby, otherwise I dragged this chest up here for nothing.” </p><p>“Follow me.” And Lea does. Isa leads him into the living room, where the painting of him hangs. “Remove this and bring it to the bedroom.” And he disappears, leaving Lea standing there alone. </p><p>“Sure thing boss,” Lea says to the empty air, and finds a step stool and takes the painting off. He hauls it up the stairs, and when he arrives at his bedroom Isa is standing again by the window. He sets the painting down against the bed and huffs a dramatic sigh. </p><p>“Remove the painting over the armchair.” </p><p>“Can’t you like, make it fall off or something, my arms hurt.”</p><p>On command, the painting falls off the wall. Lea looks at Isa who has a slight smirk to his face. </p><p>Lea is both annoyed and awed at the same time. “You could have done that this whole time, but you just boss me around instead. Hang the damn painting yourself then.”</p><p>It seems that Isa is either ignoring him or just didn’t hear him. Lea continues to sit on the bed waiting for some response from Isa, but gets none. It might be a trick of the light, but Isa looks like he’s fading in and out. “Isa...is everything alright?” </p><p>“Apologies, I-sometimes this happens when I exert too much energy. It amazes me how it’s always something different. I felt fine when I prevented the microwave from opening and the oven from starting. Yet knocking the painting off the wall is what gets me.” </p><p>Lea gets up and stands next to Isa. He leans against the window and starts talking about how much of the apartment they have yet to pack up. He rambles on the whole time, talking about the upcoming move. Isa stands there, silently humbled that Lea is not yelling at him or prioritizing unlocking the chest. Silhouetted against the window and the sunset, Lea looks young and ethereal, and this close Isa can imagine the warmth that would be radiating off of him, in stark contrast to his own nonexistence. <em> How can anyone want to be friends with me when I can’t even control my own presence in my own house? </em> Knowing from experience it’s best not to linger on such thoughts, Isa listens to Lea’s voice grounding him to the present. He finds it is strangely soothing to listen to Lea talk, which is odd because Isa is a man of solitude and silence, and Lea is exactly the kind of person that would grate on Isa’s nerves. Well, the old Isa anyway, because this current Isa gave away his fortune to Lea and is letting him live here. </p><p>After a few minutes have passed, Isa once again feels like his old ghostly self. Which is to say he is not fading in and out and can move without the fear of disappearing on Lea, who is still talking a mile a minute. Isa smiles, a real honest small genuine smile not tinged with sarcasm and doesn’t realize he's doing it until Lea stops talking and looks at him with his own megawatt smile. “I knew you had it in you to smile, must be my good looks,” Lea teases.</p><p>Thank god ghosts can’t blush because otherwise Isa’s face would have betrayed him. <em> Why am I acting like a giddy schoolgirl, it must be because I have not been around people in so long, and now I’m around someone who isn’t even afraid of me. Yes, that must be it. </em> Satisfied reaching that conclusion, Isa turns away from Lea and gestures to the painting. “If you feel around the back of the painting, there should be something that sounds hollow when you tap on it. I believe it's towards the right side of the painting.”</p><p>Lea turns the painting to the back, and starts tapping on the right side. His knuckles tap over a spot that sounds different than the rest of the painting, but Lea is hesitant to rip open the back of the painting. </p><p>Isa senses his hesitation. “Fear not, the painting itself will not be damaged, it is merely a small hidden compartment on the back framing.” </p><p>Lea sighs, getting up to find a pair of scissors to cut the back canvas. Once he does, he finds a small compartment, and once opened it reveals a key of equal grandeur to the cottage key. This key matches the color of the sunset- flaming red, orange and yellow with an odd base made out of silver and red spikes. Lea picks it up, holding it in his hand and looking at it and feeling like somehow this key was made for him. <em> Ridiculous, </em> he thinks, <em> I’ve never seen this key in my life. But I feel a strange sense of déjà vu towards it. </em> Feeling strangely out of place holding it, Lea jokes “This key matches my hair,” while running his hand through his red hair. </p><p>Isa stands, looking at the key he knows he put back there years ago and can’t believe how true Lea’s statement rings. The key almost looks like it was made exactly for Lea, maybe in a different lifetime. “When I had the keys made off-world, I wanted them to be different and beautiful. The cottage key was made in the image of the moon, since I love the night sky. I figured its counterpart should be modeled after the sun, opposites attract and all that.”</p><p>Lea continues to hold the key, and he looks at it as if it may suddenly catch fire in his hand. Isa watches him, and then glances at the clock on the wall. “You have about an hour left here Lea. Let’s unlock the chest.”</p><p>“Huh? Oh yeah sure,” and Lea pockets the key. He leans the painting back against the bed, but before he can leave the room he hears Isa ask him to hang the painting up. Lea turns around and picks the painting up, hanging it a little off kilter. </p><p>“A little more to the right.”</p><p>Lea huffs out a breath, but does as Isa asks. Isa doesn’t ask him to move it again, so Lea steps back and looks at the painting hanging in its new room. It faces the bed which Lea doesn’t want to think too long about now, seeing as he has to meet Yen Sid and get the money to buy the place. Lea goes back into the yard and Isa joins him.</p><p>Lea removes both keys from his pocket. He puts the cottage key into the lock on the left side, and the sun key into the right side lock. He twists them both in opposite directions at the same time and hears a click. The chest cracks open, and Lea lifts the top. Immediately he is greeted by piles of money, and some items. Lea picks up the money and starts putting it to the side, more interested in some of the items Isa has acquired over the years. Once he thinks he has enough money set aside, he is about to reach back in and look at some of the items but before he can do so the chest slams shut and the keys fall into the dirt. </p><p>He looks up at Isa, who is looking at him. “You will be late, so for now just take the money. I will not ask you to rebury the chest, but if you could move it into the bedroom I would greatly appreciate it.” </p><p>Lea at this point is too tired to argue. And Isa is right, the train back into town leaves in twenty five minutes, and he does want to get back home to Roxas and Xion. Without saying anything, Lea lifts the chest up, which wow is heavy, and hauls it all the way up to his bedroom, putting it next to the armchair. </p><p>“While you are gone, I will watch over the cottage.”</p><p>Lea stands there, looking around his soon to be bedroom. He can’t imagine Isa being all alone in the cottage until Lea arrives sometime next week, but it's also something that can't be helped. Standing in the room with him, Isa seems just as real as Lea does, and Lea feels guilty at leaving. <em> He’ll be fine though, he was here alone for the last ten years anyway. </em> But still, a pang of loneliness runs through Lea, because for the first time in his life, he has someone to talk to. He has the kids of course, but this is someone his age and someone who also knows what it was like to grow up lonely. </p><p>“I assure you, I will be quite fine until you arrive next week,” Isa tells him. Lea sheepishly looks up at him and smiles. “I know you will, but it's just the thought of you all alone here now that I actually know you bothers me a bit.”</p><p>Isa looks at him, and offers him a small smile. “Go now Lea if you wish to make your train.”</p><p>“Yeah ok, ok. I’ll see you next week Isa,” and Lea walks out of the room. He heads downstairs and back into the yard, this time taking his overnight bag and packing it up with the money. He walks to the front of the cottage, and taking the key out locks the door. As he makes his way to the path, he looks up and sees Isa is standing by the window, watching him go. Lea offers up another smile and a wave, and turns to leave. He makes it to the station with six minutes to spare, and texts Yen Sid he’s on his way. </p><p>Once on the train, he tilts his head back and closes his eyes. He can’t believe he actually is going to be able to afford the cottage, and that he can tell the kids they have a great place lined up so they no longer have to worry. Before he knows it, he’s back at Station Plaza and walking to meet Yen Sid.</p><p>When he arrives at the Tram Common, he sees Yen Sid is standing waiting for him. He waves to him and walks over. “I am glad to see you made it back in one piece,” Yen Sid says to him. </p><p>“Of course I am, I told you I was going to buy that place. Now that I have passed your test, let me know of the necessary paperwork to be filled out, since we have to be out of the apartment next week.”</p><p>“Of course. I trust you found your stay satisfactory?”</p><p>“Yep. Isa and I worked out an agreement, and he won’t reveal himself to the kids. Once we got past the whole ghost part, Isa is actually a decent guy, and being alone in that place for all these years can’t be good for him. This way, at least he has me to talk to, and the kids get to grow up in a great neighborhood right by the beach!” </p><p>“I see,” is all Yen Sid says to him. They make it to the ship, and get inside and Yen Sid begins to pilot them home. “I trust you will be needing to move some items to the cottage, and would be more than happy to assist you and Roxas and Xion.”</p><p>“Thank you, that would be awesome! We don’t have a lot, so we could probably do it all in one goodbye trip the day we move out,” Lea tells him. </p><p>“Of course, whatever works best for you. You will have to stop by later this week to sign all the papers, perhaps one day after work. It will not take long.”</p><p>“Sounds good, when you have all the paperwork together let me know and I’ll stop by. We’re mostly packed up anyway at this point, and I’m sure Roxas and Xion did some packing yesterday even though I told them not to worry about it.”</p><p>They’re approaching Radiant Garden again, and it’s so strange how Lea does not feel like this place is home anymore. The bright light of the morning sun throws him off, already accustomed to the sunset hues of Twilight Town. Lea steps off the ship and thinks of Isa, alone in the cottage, while he walks into the midmorning hustle of Radiant Garden. Yen Sid follows him out and says “I will let you know about the paperwork. I am sure you want to return home to Roxas and Xion so I will not keep you.”</p><p>“Thanks Yen Sid, for the lift and for the help. I’ll be around!” and with that Lea walks off to his apartment, one of the last times he’ll be doing this familiar walk. It doesn't sadden him, and he thinks that may be an issue, but he thinks of the sea breeze and the warm wind of the cottage and thinks maybe change is not such a bad thing after all.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hey guys! thanks for sticking around, work kept me super busy this week and I was lacking inspiration to write. hope this chapter makes up for the long wait!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Moving Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The following week flies by. Between Lea’s shifts at The Castle and coming home to ensure the packing process is coming along nicely, Lea doesn’t have a free moment. True to his word to Yen Sid, they don’t have a lot of stuff but they do need some time in getting it all boxed up. Before he knows it, Lea wakes up to his last day at the apartment. In the stillness of the early morning, Lea lays in bed and just lets himself be. He does feel a twinge of something about leaving Radiant Garden, but like he told Isa last week, Radiant Garden had stopped feeling like home to him a long time ago. He knows Roxas and Xion are both excited and apprehensive about the move into the cottage today. Lea can’t blame them because that’s exactly how he feels as well. Nervous for returning back and seeing Isa, but also scared of finally leaving Radiant Garden behind. He can imagine for Roxas and Xion it might feel ten times as worse, because Radiant Garden is where they grew up and also lost everything. If Lea is having mixed feelings about leaving, he can’t imagine how they must feel.</p><p>Lea decides the stillness of the morning is lost and gets up. He hears someone in the bathroom, so he knows one or both of the kids are already awake. Nerves seem to make everyone in Apartment 3 wide awake today, and Lea can’t wait to get moving. Yen Sid had asked him what time to be by the apartment, and Lea had told him 8AM sharp. Here they are at 5:30AM wide awake. At least they could get a head start on moving some of the boxes to the ground floor. </p><p>When he walks out of his room he sees Roxas come out of the bathroom. “Couldn’t sleep either huh,” Lea asks him.</p><p>“Too much excitement for today! The pictures you sent probably don’t do the place justice so I can’t wait to see my room and race Xion to the beach!”</p><p>Lea smiles, thrilled that Roxas seems more excited than sad to be leaving. He can’t even begin to imagine the way Roxas might feel about leaving Radiant Garden. This is after all, the place his parents died and where his house was destroyed. Both him and Xion lost so much at such a young age, and he hopes that Claymore Cottage can be the fresh start they all need.</p><p>Lea goes over to Roxas, slinging his arm around his shoulder and ruffling his hair. “Hey, hey cut it out!” Roxas playfully yells as he pushes him away. Lea does, and takes a look around the apartment instead. Lea gets a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, seeing how empty this place is now as opposed to a few weeks ago. Lea must be making some kind of face because Roxas says “Yeah I know. Strange seeing everything packed up. For the past few days I keep trying to put a finger on a word to describe how it feels. But I can't. It’s like, I’m a little sad, but I’m also excited to be moving. But then feeling excited makes me guilty, and then I think what do I have to be guilty for, and the cycle of mixed feelings repeats.”</p><p>“Bittersweet,” Xion says from the bedroom doorway. She offers them a tired smile. “It’s exactly how I’ve been feeling too. Sad, but also happy to be moving on. It’s the closest thing to naming a bit of what we’re feeling, I think.” </p><p>Lea thinks that's exactly how he and the kids feel. “Perfect word for it Xion.” He doesn’t want to linger on it for too long, and he doesn't want the kids to either. They have an apartment to move after all. So he goes over and drags the two of him to his side. “Wherever we go, we’ll be alright as long as we have each other. Got it memorized?” Xion leans into his side in answer, and Roxas squeezes his arm. He’ll take it.</p><p>“Alright, alright. Enough time just standing around here looking at all these boxes. They’re not gonna move themselves you know!” The kids laugh as Xion heads towards the bathroom and Roxas back to the bedroom to get dressed. Lea goes to get a quick breakfast prepared for them so they’re not moving on an empty stomach. </p><p>After breakfast is done, they all get to work. Everything is packed, so they just need to move it from the third floor to the ground floor and then eventually into Yen Sid’s gummi ship. The hours pass, and by the time Yen Sid shows up at eight, they have everything down. Lea busies himself with moving them onto the ship while Roxas and Xion go upstairs and say goodbye to the place. Luckily, if this seems weird, Yen Sid isn’t saying anything about it. Lea felt bad at first when Yen Sid bent down and picked up three boxes at once, afraid that his back would give out. But to Lea’s surprise it didn’t and Lea files that away for another day. Between the two of them, all the boxes are moved onto the ship when Xion and Roxas come back down. Well, all except for one box in Xion’s hands.</p><p>“I thought we had brought all the boxes down,” Lea asks as she walks by him to board the ship.</p><p>Xion smiles at him. “This is the box with our rock collection and your shells. I wanted to take extra special care of it since it's something we all share about this place.” And there it is, that bittersweet look. Lea knows what must be going through her mind right now, so he smiles right back at her. Roxas boards the ship right behind her, giving one last look back at the building. </p><p>Lea heads upstairs, to return the keys he tells himself. Standing in the doorway, if he thought the place looked weird earlier this morning with all the boxes, it looks alien now. <em> This is exactly how it looked when I first agreed to rent the place. So much has happened here since then. </em> Bittersweet rings in his head again, but this place is no longer his home. He leaves the keys on the table and closes the door. <em> Another door closed on a chapter of my life, </em> Lea thinks as he walks down the stairs. He gets into the gummi ship and doesn’t spare 8 Flame Street Apartment 3 another glance. He’s going home now. </p><p>On the ship, Roxas and Xion would be bouncing around if they could, but the boxes take up a lot of room and he knows Yen Sid told them to buckle up. As it is, Xion is taking a video from her chair and talking. “Ok guys here we go! First ride in a gummi ship for me and Roxas woohoo!” She turns the video around and Roxas gives her an energetic thumbs up, and Lea smiles and waves. Yen Sid offers up a small smile too and pilots them off. As to be expected, the kids love the travel through space to get to Twilight Town, and Lea is afraid their phones are going to die with how much they’re recording even though the trip is short. Lea lets them, he knows he was feeling this awed the first time he rode in a gummi ship too. Plus, at least they don’t look so sad and lost anymore, so Lea figures it’s a win all around. </p><p>Yen Sid starts the descent into Twilight Town, and they make the jump from space to the town. Roxas and Xion are glued to the window, looking out in awe at the town. Unfortunately for them Yen Sid is flying them directly to Claymore Cottage, so they’ll have to explore the town another day. That doesn't stop them from looking over the town below them and excitedly pointing out places they want to check out. Lea looks at them and not for the first time is happy that they have each other to be with. Lea is there of course, but more of a guardian than a friend. So he's happy that they get to have both, and they can lean on each other.</p><p>They fly to Sunset Terrace, and the kids are bouncing to get out and explore the house and the beach. Yen Sid lands at the edge of the property, which leaves them right off in front of the house. The goal for today is just to get the boxes into the cottage, and then just collapse. As soon as the gummi ship door opens, Roxas and Xion have darted off, most likely racing to see who gets what room. Lea wants to yell that the door won’t be open since he locked up last week, but he sees the door slightly ajar and the two kids just push past it, unaware. </p><p>“I see our house guest has decided to help you out today,” Yen Sid says, exiting the ship and seeing Lea looking at the door. </p><p>“Yeah, I guess so. Let’s hope he does stick to my plan and doesn’t show himself to the kids, that’s the last thing they need right now. But judging by the way they ran right in there, I’m sure if he were standing on the stairs they wouldn’t have even questioned it and pushed right past him.” </p><p>“It is good they are excited, better than the alternative. Believe me, I have seen people at both ends while moving, and I am confident you three will do just fine here. They are in good spirits,” Yen Sid says. Lea smiles at that, knowing how true his words are.</p><p>Lea and Yen Sid begin taking boxes in and leaving them in the living room. Roxas and Xion come down to report that Roxas will take the second room and Xion the first. Lea is glad there is no actual fighting over the rooms, since they are exactly the same. As all four of them help move their belongings into the cottage, Lea swears that the boxes feel less heavier than they did moving them in Radiant Garden. Once again, as if reading his mind, Yen Sid looks at him and gives him a nod towards Lea’s room where Isa must be, helping them without being seen and lessening the load. If the kids notice it they don’t say anything, and they even move a few of their boxes into their respective rooms. Just like that the move in process is over, and they all walk outside, relishing the fresh air after all that exercise. </p><p>Roxas’ stomach grumbles at that exact moment, and Lea feels very hungry. Lea remembers Yen Sid said there were basic stores here, so he is about to suggest walking down there when he sees a bunch of people heading down the pathway. A woman in cropped blue hair leads the pack, while a broad shouldered man with brown hair walks next to her. Behind them are what looks to be six kids of various ages, and they’re all carrying food. Lea doesn’t know whether to be happy or to cry. He feels dangerously close to sensory overload, and he’s afraid any one of those people could say something about the cottage being haunted and scare Roxas and Xion.</p><p>The herd of people arrive, and Xion and Roxas have gone quiet next to him. The woman with blue hair greets them and says “Hello there! My name is Aqua, and this is my husband Terra. We own one of the houses here down the path and we just wanted to stop by and offer a quick hello and food! I knew how hard and overwhelming our move was so we figured we could at least help you out by feeding you.” She smiles, and Terra says, “Exactly what my wife said. When we heard the cottage had been bought after all these years of it being empty we figured we’d want to meet the brave souls who came on down here.” </p><p>And there we have it, Lea thinks, the other shoe dropping. Lea must look pale because Aqua notices right away the change in his demeanor, and offers her husband a look that he must understand because he immediately says, “And these are our children! With the food! Come on kids say hi.”</p><p>One of the kids bounds right up to them. He’s got spiky brown hair and he looks super excited that he has kids his age to talk to. “Hey guys, my name is Sora, it’s so cool to meet you! Mom says she figures you guys might be around my age so I can’t wait to have more people to race on the beach with!” </p><p>Xion and Roxas seem to untense just a bit, and the rest of the introductions continue. A red haired girl named Kairi says hello next, and compliments Xion’s ring. “Thank you,” Xion says, “I made it myself with the help of Lea. It’s just a small rock we found glued to a silver band.” Kairi smiles and says “It looks great!” A boy with silver hair is next, introducing himself as Riku. “You guys must be tired, but whenever you’re free you can usually find us at the beach, so come say hi,” he tells them. Xion and Roxas nod at him, and then comes Ventus. Lea thinks he looks a little like Roxas if you squint hard enough, but he seems like a warm kid. “If you guys need anything, we’re just down the path at the house with black iron gate,” and gives them a wave. A quiet girl with blonde hair dressed in white is next, who introduces herself as Namine and says “Hello! We’re excited to have neighbors again, I hope we can be good friends.” The last kid to come up has spiky black hair like Sora’s, and kind of looks like a troublemaker. “Hey guys, names Vanitas. If you’re looking for the coolest places in Twilight Town I know them all.” </p><p>Lea feels exhausted. Roxas’ stomach chooses this time to grumble again, and Lea can’t help but feel grateful. Not that he’s not excited to meet his neighbors, but they also did so much today and he wants nothing more than to eat and crawl into bed. Aqua laughs and gestures to the kids to leave the food on the bench. “I know you guys must be tired and exhausted, so we’ll leave you to it! Like Ventus said earlier, we’re right down the path if you need anything so don’t hesitate to swing by!”</p><p>“Thanks for coming guys, and the names Lea by the way. Got it memorized?” </p><p>“I’m Roxas, and that’s my sister Xion,” Roxas says as they both wave to everyone. “The food sure does smell delicious!”</p><p>"Nice to meet you all, and enjoy the food and some rest!" Aqua tells them. Everyone waves goodbye, and the massive herd returns home. All four of them take the food inside, and Lea offers it to Yen Sid as well. “Thank you Lea but I must be off. I am glad to see you all moved in here, I will leave you to relax. Should you need anything you have my number.”</p><p>“Thank you, honestly Yen Sid. It means a lot to me that you’d help us this much. The door is always open for you to stop by, and I mean that.”</p><p>Yen Sid smiles at Lea. “Oh, before I forgot, I have a housewarming gift for you. I shall be right back.” Lea watches him go, thinking what on earth the man could have possibly gotten them. Yen Sid returns and in his hand is the book Lea was looking at a week and a half ago. Lea laughs outright at that, and Yen Sid gives him a knowing look.</p><p>“I figured since you were intrigued by it so much, it would be the perfect addition to this place. If you do manage to get it unlocked do let me know. After all, strange things have been known to happen, and I have a good feeling about leaving it here.” </p><p>That’s odd, Lea thinks, but lets it go. “Thank you, maybe the mystery will finally be unraveled here at the cottage.” Lea walks him to the door. “Seriously though Yen Sid, thank you so much for all of your help. I don’t know how we would have managed to get a place this good and moved in without your help, so I will always appreciate it.”</p><p>“Of course Lea, I am more than happy to help. You and your family needed it.” As he enters his ship, he pauses and turns around. “May your heart be your guiding key.” The door closes, and Yen Sid takes off. Honestly, Lea just does not have time to unpack whatever it is that Yen Sid had just said, so he goes back inside and mindlessly shovels some food into his mouth. He looks at the kids and they both look just as exhausted as he does. “Hey guys, what do you say we all take a nice nap. We have plenty of food for dinner later, and we were all up before our alarms today so I think we deserve it.” </p><p>The kids look at him and nod, and they put the rest of the food in the fridge and head up to their respective rooms. Lea pauses at the doorway to his room, feeling strange about being so far away from the kids. Back at the old apartment they had no space so Lea was always used to them just a few inches around him at any given room. <em> Is this what parenting feels like? </em> Lea sighs, exhausted crawling into bed. He sees that the window is cracked open and blurts out a bleary “Thanks Isa,” before sleep overtakes him.</p><p>Sometime later, which feels like an eternity but in reality was probably only a few minutes, a body crawls onto the right side of his bed. Xion mummers "Sorry Lea, just wanted to be around you," and Lea finds her hand and gives it a squeeze. Just a few short seconds after that he hears the door opening again, and Roxas gets in on the left side and throws his arm around Lea. Lea acknowledges them with a a sleepy sigh and truly drifts off. What none of them see is the blue haired man sitting in the armchair, gazing fondly at them, watching over them as they sleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Me: ahhhhh please don’t hate me because I made Aqua and Terra parents to all our children!!!! I love mother hen aqua and cool/clueless dad terra so much ok </p><p>Also me: not making vantias a dick because he’s an actual child with trauma so he gets a nice family in my story OK i make the rules here </p><p>Also me again: we're just going to pretend no one can notice how similar Sora/Vanitas, Ven/Roxas, Kairi/Namine/Xion all look ok just no one sees it they all have their clark kent disguises on and we're all good here fam</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. The First Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lea wakes up to the feeling of two bodies pressing in around him on both sides. He sighs, happy and content that the kids are comfortable being around him. They had all shifted in the middle of the night, so now Lea is on his back while Xion and Roxas are sleeping on both of his sides. He knows that the move might have given them both a lot of feelings, and then meeting their neighbors must have also caused some stress. And as much as they paint a happy exterior, Lea was going to truly make sure that they were ok. </p><p>“I can hear you overthinking from over here,” Isa tells him in a low tone, standing in his spot by the window.</p><p><em> ‘His’ spot huh, </em> Lea’s sleepy brain thinks, <em> when did I make it his spot? </em> “I just wanna make sure they’re ok, we went through a lot today,” Lea replies in an equally hushed tone. </p><p>“I saw you met the neighbors,” Isa says with a slight raise of his brows. </p><p>“Yeah, and while they were super nice and all that, it was a lot meeting that many people the day we moved in, don’t you think?”</p><p>Isa scoffs at Lea in response. “What, didn’t get it memorized?”</p><p>“Wow, I don’t know whether to be offended or impressed at my own phrase being used against me,” Lea laughs slightly, which in turn jostles the kids. Roxas blearily blinks at him while Xion continues to sleep. Roxas continues to blink at him and asks “Who were you talking to?” </p><p>“Me? No one, you must have been dreaming.” </p><p>“Huh that's weird then, I thought I heard someone else talking and it didn’t sound like you.” </p><p>“Look around Roxas, do you see anyone else here?” Lea asks. </p><p>Roxas cranes his neck around the room. “Just that creepy portrait of that guy. Why do you even have that thing up Lea?” </p><p>The window suddenly slams shut. <em> Not good. </em> Roxas seems unperturbed that the window has slammed shut, but now Xion is awake. </p><p>“You guys are so loud, what are you both talking about?” Xion asks while sitting up in bed and stretching. </p><p>“We’re talking about that creepy picture Lea has hanging up, the guy looks like he’s looking right at all of us too.” </p><p>There’s a loud bang from somewhere down the hall that sounds like a pipe exploding. <em> Definitely not good, I have to get them to stop talking about Isa, but I also don’t want them to worry. But it would be worse if they heard about Isa from one of those kids. </em> “I did a bit of research into this cottage. That guy in the painting is Captain Isa, and he owned this place before us. Ten years ago, there was an accident and he died.” </p><p>He turns to look at both of them who are looking at the picture with various expressions.  Xion looks sad looking at Isa, while Roxas looks curious at the turn of events.</p><p>“Now, some people have said over the years that this cottage is haunted, and I don’t want you guys to believe a word of that. This place was built a long time ago, and we’re gonna get it fixed up into great shape.”</p><p>Roxas turns to look away from the painting and towards Lea. “But why would they think this place is haunted?”</p><p>“Well people would think they would hear him talking, doors slamming and stairs creaking. When I stayed the night I heard the cottage making some sounds that could be easily explained.”</p><p>“Such as?” Roxas asks him. </p><p><em> Ever the defiant one, reminds me of myself at that age. </em> “The cottage is pretty drafty at times because the insulation has worn away over the years, and of course the stairs are going to creak, they’re falling apart with how the wood has rotted.” </p><p>“And the voices? Xion I swear I heard Lea talking to someone before,” Roxas says, tapping her foot. </p><p><em> Great, just great, good job Lea.</em> “I wasn’t talking to anyone, Roxas was still dreaming. I’m sure people hear what they want to hear based off of all the stories about this place. But guys, I would never bring us to a place that I thought would be bad for us. I stayed the night and was just fine, and we’ll all be just fine here too. Got it memorized?”</p><p>Xion this whole time has been looking at the painting. “I believe you Lea,” she says. “He looks pretty sad in the picture, and it sounds like he had a pretty tough time before he died. I bet he wouldn’t appreciate everyone making up stories about him and how his home is haunted.” She turns to look at the both of them. “After all, Lea stayed the night and nothing happened to him, except digging up that buried treasure,” Xion says, gesturing to the chest in the room. </p><p>“Luck was on my side, that’s all. And with that money we can also fix up the cottage and put those stories to bed about the place being haunted. I didn’t want to tell you guys and scare you about this place, so that’s the real reason I stayed last week. If it truly were haunted I would have hightailed it outta here and I would never in a million years have brought you guys to live here. You guys running into the house to pick your rooms was one of the happiest memories I’ll have about this cottage.” </p><p>“Ugh, you’re always so sappy Lea,” Roxas playfully shoves him. “If you say so then it must be true, and I’ve felt really good about being here these last few hours.” Roxas looks down and says “It just felt weird not to be so close to you guys when we laid down to take the nap is all.” </p><p>At this Lea throws his arms around both of their shoulders and squeezes them against his sides. “I know. Truthfully I may have lingered in my doorway to hear your doors close and then I told myself this must be growing up. So when you guys crawled into bed around me I felt so content after such a long day.” He smiles at both of them. </p><p>“It’s not a permanent thing,” Roxas says too quickly. </p><p>“Of course not,” Lea says, giving his arm a squeeze. “But we’ve been so used to constantly being in close quarters with each other, that at first it’s gonna feel weird, but I promise having your own space will be freeing and you’ll enjoy it. Plus I’m not going anywhere, so you’ll always have me around.” </p><p>“Thanks Lea,” Xion says, smiling up at him. “We know it’ll be an adjustment but it’s good to be here, I can’t wait to fix this place up and put our little traces of the apartment around.”</p><p>“Of course, but not on an empty stomach! Let’s heat up some of those leftovers and take a walk on the beach after, how does that sound?”</p><p>The kids nod in agreement and shuffle out of the room. “I’ll be right down!” Lea calls after them. </p><p>He turns around from closing the door and expects Isa to be standing there, but he isn’t. “Isa?” Lea calls out for him. </p><p>Lea gets no answer, so he goes to the bathroom, figuring Isa will show up once he’s done. He exits the bathroom and doesn’t find Isa standing anywhere, and that makes him feel uneasy. </p><p>“Isa wherever you are, don’t be mad at the kids. They don’t know any better and I cleared it up for them. They didn’t mean anything by it, so I hope you can forgive them. I’ll see you later I guess.”</p><p>Lea exits the room, feeling foolish for talking to the empty room. <em> I really hope he is ok though, it’s unlike him to disappear like that. </em> As he’s walking down the stairs, he feels a sort of presence at the base of his neck and a voice says “I forgive them Lea.” Lea gets whiplash from turning around so quick, expecting to see Isa behind him but there’s no one there. He rubs the back of his neck as he finishes descending the stairs. </p><p>He meets Xion and Roxas in the kitchen, heating up various dishes. They eat and talk about where they can place some of their furniture from the apartment around the cottage. Xion is looking for the place of honor for the rock bowl which will now also house shells, and Roxas wants to set the radio up in the kitchen. They finish eating and put their shoes on and leave the cottage. As they start to walk the path to the beach, Lea looks back at the cottage to find his bedroom window cracked open and smiles to himself. </p><p>The kids are so excited to be on the beach for their first time. Lea watches them tug off their shoes and run to the water. He knows they’ll wind up soaking wet and covered in sand, but he doesn’t care. As long as they’re happy, that’s all that’s ever going to matter to Lea. Roxas and Xion both stop at the edge of the water and look at each other. No words are exchanged, but they nod to each other. </p><p>“Lea, can you come here for a second?” Xion asks him.</p><p><em> Oh this can’t be good</em>. He’s half expecting to be shoved into the water, but when he walks down to the two of them they each grab his hands. </p><p>“Let’s jump in together, ok?” Xion says, smiling up at Lea.</p><p>Lea’s heart swells. “On three then. One, two, THREE!” </p><p>And they all jump into the water holding hands. The water is just above their ankles but they’ve made such a huge splash that they’re dripping water and laughing. Roxas wades out further, but since neither of them know how to swim Lea calls him back in. “I don’t want you guys going out so far until you know how to swim. The tides can pull you out pretty deep and before you know it you’re too far out and trying to get back but the water keeps pushing you out. Promise me right now you guys won’t go out too deep until you learn how to swim, no matter who asks you.” </p><p>“We promise Lea,” they both say in unison. </p><p>“Good, now-WATER FIGHT,” Lea exclaims as he sends a huge wave towards Roxas. The kids laugh and start splashing all over the place, and Lea has swallowed so much sea water it’s making him dizzy. Laughing, he tells them he’s going to sit on the shore and look for cool shells. They give him a thumbs up and continue running through the water splashing each other. </p><p>Lea is soaking wet and dripping as he sits down on the shore. The sunset is beautiful, and he closes his eyes, listening to the kids laughing and feeling the warmth of the sunset rays. He takes a deep breath and relishes the sea breeze in his lungs. “It’s really beautiful down here isn’t it?” </p><p>Lea looks up and sees Aqua standing next to him. “It sure is,” Lea tells her. </p><p>“Mind if I sit?” Aqua asks. </p><p>Lea gestures to the spot next to him. “Not at all.”</p><p>“I know we might have came off a little strong this afternoon,” Aqua says with a chuckle.</p><p>Lea runs his hand through his soaking wet hair and laughs nervously. “Uh, so you noticed that. Nothing against you guys but I didn’t have a chance to tell them about the house yet and then to see your huge crowd coming down the path after we just moved all those boxes was just exhausting. No offense to you guys though,” Lea hurriedly finishes.  </p><p>Aqua laughs and says “None taken! I saw your face when my husband mentioned the cottage and you turned as white as the sea foam here, so I figured it was a touchy subject and I hope we didn’t ruin it for your kids.” </p><p>“Not at all, in fact it made me figure out what to tell them about the cottage. It’s not haunted you know, it’s just old.”</p><p>“Please Lea, we’ve lived our whole life here. We were here when they found Isa, although the kids were small they still grew up with the same stories the rest of the town did. Sometimes I have even seen someone looking out the window above the door. So you don’t have to cover it up to me.” </p><p><em> I can’t tell her I’ve talked to a ghost, but she seems pretty convinced that Isa is real.</em> “I’ve never seen him, but I sat down in the kitchen and just basically told my whole life story to the empty air. After that the sounds in the house stopped, so either he took pity on me or he never was there before and my imagination ran wild when Yen Sid told me the history of the cottage.”</p><p>Sora comes running down the beach, Riki and Kairi hot on his heels. “Hey mom, hi Lea! I was wondering if we could have a race with Roxas and Xion?” </p><p>Aqua looks at Lea. “Only if Lea says it’s ok, and if they both feel up to it. What do you say Lea?” </p><p>“Sure, but you gotta ask Roxas and Xion first,” Lea tells Sora.</p><p>“Awesome, alright thanks!” And he’s running into the water to ask Roxas and Xion. They both look to Lea who gives them a thumbs up, so they get out of the water soaking wet and walk down the beach with Sora, Kairi and Riku. </p><p>“So you’ve never actually seen him?” Aqua asks.</p><p>“Nope, but I feel like I know him. It’s just the feeling I got when I stepped into the cottage and so far it’s been ok even though it’s only been a few hours. I told the kids the truth-that there had been an accident and Isa died, and then the stories started coming up about the place being haunted. No way I would have moved the kids here with me unless I felt good about the place. And look at them, their first trip to the beach and already they’re having so much fun,” Lea says, fondly looking at them running up and down the beach. </p><p>“I know what you mean,” Aqua says, following his gaze. “Not counting Ventus, we adopted all the other kids. Let’s just say they didn’t have an easy life.” </p><p>“Roxas and Xion are adopted as well. We’re originally from Radiant Garden, and when the earthquake happened two years ago they both were strangers who lost their homes and families who came together to survive. I kept seeing them around and they always looked so lost, so I helped them out because no one else was. Here we are two years later, and they’re my family now. I wouldn’t trade them for the world. We had to move out of our cramped apartment and that’s why we’re here. They each have their own rooms now and I’m glad they seem to be making such good friends already, makes me feel better about them starting school later on in the week.”</p><p>“Oh you won’t have to worry, I’m sure they’ll be on the same train as my kids will be so they’ll at least have some friendly faces,” Aqua says smiling at him. </p><p>Terra is walking down the path with Ventus in tow. “Aqua honey, dinner will be ready shortly so if you want to try to get them as sand free as you can before dinner that would be great,” he says watching them run around. “Hello Lea! Good to see you, and glad to see the kids getting along so well.” </p><p>“Hey Terra, and yes it sure is nice to see them getting along so well.”</p><p>“By the way, I’m sorry about earlier. Aqua always tells me I don’t think before I speak, so if I messed anything up for you and the kids I’m really sorry.” </p><p>“Not to worry,” Lea says, “it actually made me figure out what I wanted to tell them anyway. Like I told Aqua, the place isn’t haunted and we’re gonna be fine.” </p><p>Terra doesn’t look convinced, but he doesn’t press it any further. “Well it was good to see you around Lea, come by from a drink or dinner anytime! As a matter of fact, let’s exchange numbers.” </p><p>They do that, and Aqua stands to help wrangle in their kids for dinner. Roxas and Xion come back and stand with Lea as the rest of them wave goodbye and head home. </p><p>“That was so much fun!” Roxas says. </p><p>“Good, I’m glad you guys are enjoying yourselves and making friends,” Lea says, smiling at the both of them. </p><p>“You too Lea, Aqua and Terra seem really nice as well,” Xion says to him. </p><p>“They are, so I’m glad we have nice people as our neighbors, and they make delicious food on top of that,” Lea laughs.</p><p>“Can we look from some shells for our collection before we head back?” Xion asks, already bending down to sift through the sand. </p><p>“Of course,” Lea says bending down and doing the same. They stay like that for a while, sifting through the sand, showing each other their cool finds. Lea finds a small silver rock with a black speck on it in what looks to be like a crescent moon. It reminds him of Isa, so he pockets that for later. </p><p>They get up a while later, somewhat dry and very sandy with their shells and head up the pathway back to the cottage. They attempt to shake off as much sand as they can, and Xion heads off to take a shower while Roxas sits in the garden, not wanting to sit sandy and wet in his bed. Lea heads to his room to shower as well. Before he does, he leaves the rock on his nightstand. “For you Isa.”</p><p>Lea showers and feels more human and so exhausted even with the nap they all took today. He steps out of the bathroom to see Isa standing in his customary spot. </p><p>“Hey Isa.”</p><p>“Hello Lea.”</p><p>The silence drags on, and Lea feels like he’s going to suffocate. “That was a neat trick you did when I was walking down the stairs before.”</p><p>Isa continues to look at the window. Lea doesn’t know what to do since Isa told him he forgave the kids, but he seems so distant. “Ok well I’m going to head downstairs and see if the kids need anything before we go to bed, so I’ll see you around I guess.” </p><p>Lea is expecting an answer, and he gets none. He leaves the room, barely resisting the urge to slam the door after him. His first night in the cottage and Isa is already in a sour mood. Just wonderful. </p><p>He heads downstairs to find Xion at the dining room table with the shells and rocks she found. Together they head to the kitchen and rinse and dry them off. By the time they’re done, Roxas joins them. He turns the radio on and they sit there helping Roxas wash his finds. It feels so normal that Lea is hit with a million emotions at once. He’s happy they can sit in comfortable silence just enjoying each other’s presence, and that they don’t seem to be affected by Isa at all. </p><p>They finish and Xion leaves them there until they figure out the perfect spot for their collection. “Alright guys what do you say we head to sleep?” </p><p>Xion and Roxas look tired and agree. This is going to be their first sleep in their new home, and Lea hopes it will be a peaceful one. They head up the stairs, and they all linger in their respective doorways. Lea looks at them and says “I’m right down the hall guys if you need anything, at any time of the night.” </p><p>They smile at him and both say goodnight. Lea closes his door and feels the weight of the day slide off him. So much has happened today that he’s almost forgotten he moved in here this morning. He laughs, and it sounds strangled to his ears, and sits on his bed. He is tired, but he feels like if he lays down he won’t be able to sleep. He lays down anyway, for lack of anything better to do. Isa isn’t here and won’t talk to him, and he wants the kids to sleep in their own rooms tonight so he won’t bother them. Slowly, sleep overtakes Lea’s restless mind, and he doesn’t notice that the rock he left for Isa on his nightstand isn’t there. He drifts into a dreamless sleep, wondering what the next day will bring them.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>sorry guys for the delay, I'm trying to stick to posting on Tuesday's but this chapter was so long and dialogue heavy I kept editing it, but here it is!</p><p>as always thank you guys for the comments/kudos, it means so much to me on my first fanfic ever :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Isa's Interlude</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hey guys! I know we haven't had the chance to see a lot of Isa, so I thought I would write about events from his perspective! this takes place the day that Lea spends the night up to the first day they move in.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Isa watches as Lea’s figure recedes further into town. <em> Back to being alone in this cursed place. </em> He continues to stand in his spot, for lack of anything better to do. He thinks back to yesterday, thinks about Lea walking through those doors to stay the night. He had dreamed up so many ways to scare Lea out, or make him angry enough to leave but Lea never ran out in fear, and left as the new owner of the cottage. <em> What a strange turn of events these past few hours have been. </em>Lea is like a force of nature, the way he talks and acts that Isa is already unused to the silence that has plagued this house for the last ten years. He once craved all that silence, and now he finds it unnerving, now that he has someone to talk to him. He wonders what made Lea unafraid to talk with him in the first place, although he does remember Lea looking pale the first time Isa revealed himself to him yesterday in the bedroom. Lea had turned around and Isa expected him to run out screaming like all the rest, but Lea just looked defeated and tired, and just a little pale. He didn’t even give Lea a chance to respond to him before he faded out, but he sure kept a close eye on Lea, finally revealing himself as the other man was moving about the kitchen as if he already owned it. When Lea was washing the shells he found, Isa was intrigued because it didn’t seem like something Lea would be doing for himself, but then again he knew almost nothing about the man. </p><p>He could feel Lea’s anger and hunger rolling off him as he tried to talk to him. To be fair, so many people have told Isa he comes off cold and shrewd so he wasn’t surprised Lea was acting like this towards him. He did after all just deny Lea the rest of his Ratatouille, but his goal was to get this man out of his cottage. </p><p>He feels the moment Lea lets go of most of his anger towards Isa, and Isa is stunned. Lea starts talking to him, first about inconsequential things such as why he’s washing those shells, and then he says he has kids. </p><p>Isa sees red for a moment and lets it seep into his voice when he asks Lea about the kids. Kids are messy and loud and demanding, and Isa can only imagine the mess they’ll make of the place. Lea fiercely defends them as he speaks about them, and he lets it slip they’re teenagers. Isa thinks for a split second he could maybe allow that, and then abruptly stops. <em> The goal Isa, remember the goal. No one gets in. </em> </p><p>Isa thinks Lea puzzles it out too quickly that Isa himself is a walking paradox. Lea calls him out, and is right to do so. Isa should be trying to get rid of Lea, but instead is asking him about his life. <em> I guess I still am fascinated that someone after all these years is not afraid of me. Lea didn't grow up here with all the stories about me, most of them being true. </em>  Isa is angry, at himself for letting Lea get this close and at Lea for thinking he knows everything about Isa and his life. He should have seen it coming, the way Lea erupts at him and insinuates he killed himself all those years ago. <em> So Lea has heard some of the stories, the same one said over and over about my death. </em> Isa erupts right back at Lea, finally being able to tell someone about his death and how it was his crew mate who poisoned him, and how he did not choose to be a ghost. Truthfully when it happened, he was so angry. But this, being stuck as a spectral figure never being able to really live or get to enjoy this cottage he worked so long on, is torture. </p><p>Lea is taken aback by this realization, and Isa is expecting Lea to tell him that it's not true and Isa is lying. Once again, Lea takes Isa by surprise and he doesn’t question Isa, simply asks him about opening the window while he slept. <em> Incredible, I tell this man I was poisoned and not only does he believe me, he also figures out about the window. </em> There are few things can he remember about being human after all these years of adjusting to not feeling anything, but the fever and how hot he felt he’s never likely to forget.  </p><p>Isa feels too exposed, too raw after saying so much to Lea. This is the first time he’s ever told someone the real events of that tragic day, and the most he’s ever spoken to someone since he died. He wants to go, he needs to leave and he’s about to just let Lea eat and retreat to figure out a new way to get him out when Lea asks him to stay. Isa knows he shouldn’t, knows that this is insane. But his feet seems to move on their own accord to sit at the table with Lea. Lea, who looks so honest and open at him, no hint of his earlier trepidation and anger. Lea, who offers him some of the meal Isa denied him earlier. <em> What am I doing here? This is too domestic, a ghost and a man sitting down to eat dinner and only one of them can eat. </em> </p><p>As he has his internal freak out, he takes his time to look at Lea this close. He’s figured out they must be the same age, and Isa is slightly taller than him when they stand. Lea’s hair defies nature and sticks out all around him, all red and spiky. It shouldn’t work, but it doesn’t look bad on him. His eyes are the color of the sea when it storms, an alluring ocean green. It seems he prefers the color black, since most of his current outfit is black, and in a twist of irony, red. He seems like an easy person to get along with, and he’s not bad on the eyes either, so Isa wonders if he has someone else in his life. He looks at his slender hands and doesn’t see a wedding band, and Isa tries to figure out how to diplomatically ask him the question that’s nagging at the back of his mind. </p><p> He settles on asking outright if he has a significant other, and is startled when Lea openly laughs right at him. Lea’s laugh is loud and full of life, like the man himself, and Isa thinks the laugh suits him well, if only it was not being directed at him. He gets up, which makes Lea reach his hand out as if to grab his shoulder, but Isa feels as it passes right through him. It feels as if someone’s poured cold water where Lea’s hand brushed through him, and it gets Lea to end his laughter. Lea yanks his hand back so quick and apologizes, and Isa is unsure why he stands there. He feels rooted to the spot, and he doesn’t like seeing Lea looking silent. Lea breaks it, because the man can’t sit still or quiet. Lea tells him Roxas and Xion are not his biological kids and how there is no one romantically in his life. <em> Why does that confirmation he has no one in his life make me feel relieved? I am being ridiculous. </em> He talks about how Roxas and Xion had lost their parents and their homes during the earthquake. He thinks he remembers hearing about it a while back, but it’s of little consequence to him. The events of other worlds are no longer his concern, his crew mates saw to that ten years ago. </p><p>He wonders why Lea took in those kids if it caused him to fall into debt. He had no obligation to those kids, so why bother? Lea answers that same question by saying no one else was going to do it and they were kids who lost their entire world. Isa thinks Lea wears his heart on his sleeve and it’s always bleeding. </p><p>Lea resolves to not look at Isa when telling him about his own sad childhood marred with loneliness and the need to please everyone around him. Isa feels that goal of his crumble into dust at how similar him and Lea grew up. Lea won’t look at him as he tells Isa all of this, and Isa is glad because if Lea did look at him, he would see all the emotions crossing Isa’s face that he’s been trying hard to hide. Lea grew up just like him, alone and wanting to fit in. It’s no wonder he took those kids in, because he sees so much of himself in them and he doesn’t want them to have the lonely life he had growing up. Isa makes up his mind and he wants Lea to be here. The kids not so much, but they’re a packaged deal and Isa wants Lea to be around. <em> I am tired of being lonely. </em> </p><p>He sees the raw vulnerability on Lea’s face  when he turns as he tells Lea he can stay in the cottage. Lea looks like he doesn’t want to believe it, and Isa can’t even really believe it himself. But his cottage has stood empty for ten years, and Lea is in dire straits and needs a place to be. Isa doesn’t want to think too hard about the fact that he enjoys talking to Lea, so he ignores that for right now. He tells Lea that he has to just move his picture into the bedroom and doesn’t give him much explanation why. Lea doesn’t press, and just asks in turn if he doesn’t reveal himself to the kids when they arrive. Isa can live with that, he doesn’t feel like sharing his existence with anyone else but Lea. <em> What a very possessive thought.</em> Lea looks at him, a genuine smile lighting up his face and Isa thinks he could get used to this. </p><p>Isa hears Lea ask about the money to buy this place, and he thinks about the money and the items he’s picked up as he’s traveled other worlds, buried under his tree in the yard. <em> It’s of no use to me now as a ghost, so why not? </em> He offers it to Lea, who if Isa thought looked shocked before, looks close to tears right now. Isa can feel it, the shock and the happiness coming off of Lea. Isa once thought that feeling other people's emotions was a burden, since they are oftentimes sudden and strong. That’s one of the reasons he didn’t want anyone living here, he didn’t want to deal with their emotions all day long. But strangely, Lea’s emotions don’t bother him. True, they are as loud as he is, and he is always feeling something, but Isa finds it comforting to feel his energy and his thoughts. That’s another thing he didn’t want to hear- people's thoughts. They’re worse than the emotions because the thoughts are loud all the time, but luckily he has not had many people around the house to deal with. He finds that if he concentrates on someone or something long enough he can block out a lot of that noise, but it does take a while. Lea’s emotions and thoughts wash over him, and Isa for once doesn't feel like he’s drowning listening to them. </p><p>He feels it before Lea says it, Lea’s tiredness creeping up on him. To be fair, Lea did have an exciting day today, and Isa for once is glad from the company. Lea looks at him, and Isa can feel the happiness and contentment from Lea, and can’t believe he is the cause of it. <em> This is probably the first time I’ve genuinely made something good come out of all this mess. </em> Lea smiles at him again, and Isa doesn’t ever want that smile to leave his face. <em> What is going on with me tonight, the first person who accepts me and I’m acting like this. This isn’t me, I’m just out of touch with interacting, yes that’s it. </em> </p><p>Lea tells him goodnight, and goes to his bedroom. Isa lets him have his privacy, and only materializes as he’s drifting off to sleep to stand by the opened window. Isa does not feel tired, but imagined he would be if he were his old human self. He turns to look at Lea sleeping, and closes his eyes. Listening to Lea breathing and the ocean waves crashing, Isa drifts into nothingness.</p><p>The next morning, he can sense the moment Lea wakes up. He materializes in the room, but Lea is busy taking a picture so he sits in the armchair. The look Lea gives him is close to the first pale look he gave him yesterday, and Isa laughs at him for being dramatic. He meets Lea in the yard and tells him where to start digging for the money. He watches as Lea digs, the quiet of the day settling over the both of them. After a while, Lea hits something solid and drags it out of the ground. It looks just as Isa remembers it when he buried it all those years ago. An unassuming brown chest, but the lock is anything but ordinary. Lea marvels at the fact he has one of the keys already, and Isa tells him to follow him for the second key, which he hid in the frame of his portrait. Lea carries the painting up, and gets annoyed at Isa for bossing him around, so Isa makes the other painting on the wall fall off for him. But this was a bad idea, and Isa can feel himself fading in and out. Like he tells Lea, it's always something so inconsequential, something so simple that suddenly drains him and causes him to start drifting away. He doesn’t want to drift though, and is surprised when Lea crosses the room to stand next to him and begin talking. Lea never shuts up, but his voice grounds Isa, and this close Isa looks at Lea against the light of the sunset and is struck by how beautiful he looks. <em> The sunset, I mean, the sunset is beautiful not Lea, just my thoughts acting up again. </em> He must be wearing some kind of smile on his face because Lea jokes it's because of his good looks, and Isa has to look away. <em> I have to get used to Lea, it’s just simply because I’m out of touch with communicating that I’m tripping over the first person in years trying to get to know me. </em></p><p>
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</p><p>Isa directs Lea’s attention to finding the other key, and is just as amazed that the key in Lea’s hands looks tailor made for him. <em> I have always loved the moon since I was little, so getting the keys fashioned in the sun and the moon seemed like an interesting thing to do. </em> Lea unlocks the chest, but before he can get his hands on any of the items, Isa makes sure he closes the chest on him. <em> Now is not the time to be going through my personal items from a time long past. </em> He can sense Lea’s hesitation to leave Isa alone in the cottage until they move in, and at this point Isa should not be surprised Lea’s heart is as big as it is. Isa watches him depart for the train, and is left alone again. Not seeing any point in moving about an unoccupied cottage, Isa closes his eyes. He thinks of Lea’s laugh and the way he smiles and drifts again.</p><p>
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</p><p>The week passes, and Isa can feel the arrival of Yen Sid’s ship right in front of the cottage. It hurts his head for a minute, the ship and its people full of life and thoughts and so many emotions it all assaults him at once. He finds Lea’s trepidation and hopefulness and settles on that, and his head stops hurting. He sees the kids run out of the ship, so he opens the door, hoping this won’t cause him to fade out. It doesn’t, and the kids run in. They are not as loud as Lea, but feel just as strong as he does. The girl, which he thinks is Xion, is quiet but fierce in her emotions, while the boy is quick to feel. Yen Sid is with them, and Isa can never get a solid read on that man. His emotions are always so muted, but sometimes Isa swears Yen Sid can find him in the room, even though he has not materialized. He sees them arrive with boxes, and he can imagine they are heavy. Still focused on Lea’s emotions, he thinks about the boxes, thinks about them being lighter. He’s not sure if it works, but he can feel Lea’s slight confusion while carrying the boxes and thinks that it just might have. He knows Roxas is hungry, and then he senses panic from all three of them.</p><p>
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</p><p>He goes over to the window, careful to make sure he is not materialized. No one notices the window being slightly pushed open, that way the conversation can carry up to where he is keeping watch. He of course knows all the people who have arrived, with them being his neighbors. They bought the house down the road from the cottage around the same time Isa did, and he knows they were never really fond of his lifestyle and the choices he made. Once again, with that many people all the thoughts and emotions assault Isa, and he tries his best to focus on Lea and his emotions. But Lea’s emotions are strong and loud this time, and not the happy kind. Lea is panicked and tired and hungry, but Isa can sense the panic the strongest. <em> He is afraid of what they could say about me and the cottage in front of his kids, so I guess he has not told them anything about this place yet. </em> The thought stings for a bit, but that was Lea’s sole request to Isa, so maybe Lea has been working on what to tell them. Still, it does hurt a little.</p><p>
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</p><p>By the time Isa concentrates again, the introductions are almost over. Lea feels slightly less panicked and just more nervous and exhausted and Isa is just about to see if he can maybe subtly do something to make the neighbors leave, but they head back out on their own. They all enter the house with the food, and Yen Sid returns back to his ship, but not without giving Lea a very strange looking book. He stays in the room, unmaterialized but always watching as Lea all but collapses into bed and thanks him. A warm feeling overtakes Isa, and he sits on the armchair, watching Lea. He hears the floorboards creak as Xion comes in first, followed by Roxas, and feels Lea’s happiness as they all snuggle together. He’s not even aware he has materialized, but he has and he sits there with a smile on his face as he feels the warm quiet settle over the cottage once again.</p><p>
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</p><p>Lea is the first to wake up, stressing over his kids. Isa is standing where he usually always stands, and hears Lea refer to it as his spot in his head. <em> I guess I do like to stand here a lot, so I suppose having something of myself in this place is not such a bad thing. </em> They are talking in quiet tones and Isa even manages to make Lea laugh in an attempt to put some of his stress at ease when Roxas wakes up. Now, this would not have been such a bad thing if Roxas had not commented on how creepy Isa’s portrait was. Isa is angry enough that he slams the window shut, and hopes Roxas will not say anything else. But he continues now, and Isa is angry at himself for thinking he could handle children in his cottage. He makes one of the pipes make a big sound, and can feel Lea’s stress level rise. That doesn’t stop him now as he continues the sound, and he almost misses what Lea tells the children.</p><p>
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</p><p>Lea doesn’t lie to them and tell them a sweet story. He tells them that there was an accident, <em> more like murder but I wouldn’t tell the children that either, </em> and that Isa had died. He goes back to the room and sees the way Xion looks at his painting with sadness, and Roxas looks at it with curiosity. They trust Lea, which is a sign to how comfortable they are around him, but Isa is still a little hurt. The kids shuffle out of the room to go eat, but Lea lingers behind looking for him. Isa does not materialize, out of spite, but he hears Lea apologize for the kids and can feel his genuine regret at having hurt Isa, however indirectly it was. Figuring he can’t leave Lea to agonize over this, he whispers to him on the stairs he forgives him, and the shock and look on Lea’s face over him having done that is worth it. </p><p>
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</p><p>Isa knows they are going to the beach, but he can’t really leave the perimeter of the cottage. The few times over the years he's tried he's faded out and returned only after some time has passed. He goes outside and looks over the pathway down onto the beach and can see them on the sand. He settles for watching over them this way, and feels a pang of loneliness come over him. He knows they must be having a good time because they’re splashing around in the water, and Isa cannot be a part of that as much as he wishes he could. He cannot sit next to Lea and talk to him as they watch the sunset sky and he can’t help but feel jealous for the way other people can. He sees Aqua sit down next to him and Isa gets up and goes back into the cottage. He cannot stomach watching other people, mainly Lea exist outside of this cottage. <em> This is foolish of me and I know it, so why am I acting like this? Lea has lived a whole life outside of knowing me and he will continue to do so. I do not own him. </em></p><p>
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</p><p>They return a short while later, and Isa still feels foolish for the way he acted before. Lea heads off to the shower, but before he does he leaves a rock on his nightstand and tells the empty air it is meant for him. Isa stands there, completely overwhelmed. Here he was being angry and jealous of Lea, and while Lea was out he was still thinking of Isa. Isa stands in front of the nightstand and before his mind can catch up with his body, he reaches out for the rock. Forgetting he can’t hold items anymore, he can’t help the shock in finding out he’s holding the rock in his hand. He drops the rock like it's burned him, and it falls under the bed somewhere. Isa looks at his hands, his hands that are not supposed to be able to hold or feel anything. The rock was light on his hands, and this is the first time in all his years of being a ghost he was able to hold something. <em> How can this be? How is this at all possible?</em> Isa is spared from having a full blown panic attack as he hears Lea turn the shower off. He moves to look out the window, because if he looked at Lea right now he might say something stupid.</p><p>
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</p><p>Isa says hello to Lea, for lack of anything better to do. He feels Lea’s frustration at his unwillingness to start the conversation, but he cannot stop thinking about the rock. The rock Lea found for him while he was busy being angry at him. Lea is blind to his internal panic and leaves the room, frustrated and angry. Isa dematerializes and just stands there, thinking about how he was able to hold the rock. <em> Never in my ten years as a ghost has this happened to me. I cannot even leave the property without dematerializing, and then it takes me weeks to come back. So how is this possible? </em> A little while later, Lea returns and sounds manic and overwhelmed with everything that happened today. Isa still does not know what to say to Lea, so he concentrates on making sure Lea drifts off into sleep. Isa does not know how long he stands there before he himself drifts off, the feeling of the rock in his hands an ever present thought.</p><p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>WHEW ok so writing Isa is hard because on one hand he's all quiet and stoic but on the other hand he's tripping all over Lea. when I planned this chapter out I did not expect it to be my longest chapter yet, so I hope I did our boy justice! if a lot if it sounds repetitive from the previous chapters I apologize, but I felt like I needed to show Isa's side of how everything played out. </p><p>next weeks chapter will continue with Lea waking up on his second day in the cottage so stay tuned! </p><p>also just wanted to say thank you to everyone who is reading along, last chapter had so many hits on it that it made me smile, so just know you guys are so appreciated and I hope you'll stick around for the rest of the story. have a greet week everyone!!</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. The Incident</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hello all! please see end chapter notes, and thank you for sticking around to read!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lea slowly blinks into awareness. The room is dark, and he does not remember closing the window and drawing the shades last night. Lea looks over at the clock on the nightstand, and the time reads 4:18 AM. Lea groans and runs his hands over his face. He lays in bed, restless and unable to fall back asleep. Yesterday was such a busy day that Lea can’t even begin to wrap his head around everything that happened. Somehow, they moved in and accepted dinner plans down the line with Aqua and Terra, and Roxas and Xion had made friends and explored the beach for the first time. All that sounds perfectly wonderful, but then Lea remembers that Isa is angry at him. For what he’s not entirely sure, because he could have sworn Isa apologized to him on the staircase. <em> Maybe he didn’t, maybe it was just my wishful thinking that he did. </em></p><p>“You did not imagine it.” </p><p>Lea is really sick of jumping out of his own skin every time Isa speaks to him. It’s even worse now because the room is bathed in darkness and Lea can hardly make out his hand in front of him. “I wish you’d announce yourself somehow.”</p><p>“I’m a ghost Lea, how do you wish me to announce my presence? Should I make the floorboards creak or the window open?” </p><p>Lea gives up trying to look for him in the darkness and just closes his eyes. He’s not sure what to say to Isa, who’s acting cold and distant towards him. He rolls over, assuming Isa is standing in his spot by the window. Two can play at this game. </p><p>Lea is surprised when he rolls over that Isa is sitting on his bed. In the dim light, Isa looks almost like he is completely real, and Lea huffs out a breath in frustration. Isa of course looks completely solid to Lea, but Lea remembers when he went to grab his shoulder and his hand just passed right through him. </p><p>“Isa?”</p><p>It’s silent for a few moments before Isa lets out a breath. If Lea didn’t know better, he’d leave it alone and leave Isa to sulk. But Lea knows better, and so he won’t let it drop. <em> Something about Isa has been off since we got here. And I won’t let him off that easy. </em></p><p>Lea starts talking, telling Isa about the kids first Gummi Ship ride and their new friends. He tells Isa about them running to the beach and asking him to jump in the water with them, and the pure joy he felt because they asked. Isa sits unmoving with his back still facing Lea, so Lea continues to talk about their beach visit. The longer Lea talks to him, the more his eyes adjust to the darkness, and he can see Isa slowly turning around until he’s sitting crossed legged on the bed, facing Lea. Lea keeps talking and just lets Isa sit there, unmoving and silent as ever. </p><p>Eventually Lea runs out of things to say to him. He lays there in silence and he can feel that Isa wants to say something to him, so he tries not to fidget. Some minutes pass and Lea can almost choke on the silence. Lea is about to straight out just ask Isa what’s wrong, but Isa beats him to it.</p><p>“I have not been feeling like myself since yesterday. Forgive me Lea, the move and all the people suddenly in the house overwhelmed me and my senses.” </p><p><em> I should have seen this coming. </em> “Of course Isa, I can’t imagine going from an empty cottage to suddenly having three people all around the place. We should be the ones apologizing to you.” </p><p>“Nonsense Lea. It really just overwhelmed me and I haven’t been dealing with it in the way I should. I have been slowly getting used to Xion and Roxas and their emotions, and I am already used to yours and find myself focusing on that when it gets too much.”</p><p>“Aw see, I knew you kept me around for a reason,” Lea says with a slight laugh. “I am sorry though if it is too much, is there anything we can do to lessen it? The kids will be going to school next week so they won’t be around for a long period of the day but I’ll be around moving things in and getting settled.” </p><p>“Thank you, but this is just something I will have to get used to. It is only the first day after all, and I was the one who told you to move in here to begin with. I meant what I said last week when I made you the offer to move in. The cottage has been sitting here too quiet for all these years, and I hope it does give you all the fresh start you need.”</p><p>Lea smiles at Isa, who he is sure can see him in the dark. Lea still feels like maybe Isa hasn’t told him everything, but at least the atmosphere doesn’t feel like it's trying to suffocate Lea anymore. “Oh! I almost forgot with everything going on, when we were at the beach I found something for you and left it on the nightstand. Did you see it?”</p><p>Isa looks toward the nightstand. “There is nothing there Lea.”</p><p>“What? No way, I know I put it there before my shower!”</p><p>Lea is about to get out of bed because there is no way that the rock isn't there, but Isa says “Lea, it is still early for you, stay in bed. We will look in the morning.” </p><p>Lea begrudgingly lifts the covers back onto himself and lays down on the pillow. Isa is right of course, he should go back to sleep but he just doesn’t feel like he should leave Isa to stand here in the dark. “Tell me a story,” he says instead, while closing his eyes.</p><p>Isa huffs out a small laugh at him. “I don’t have many happy ones.”</p><p>“Doesn’t matter to me. Just tell me a story.”</p><p>Isa contemplates for a few seconds, and just as Lea is about to crack an eye open to look at him, Isa starts. “I was not born here in Twilight Town, I was born in The World That Never Was. I always thought it was such a strange name for a town growing up, such a contradiction. It is not a very popular place to live, due to the fact it is always nighttime and there are mainly corporations working there, but my parents were both working for the same corporation and thus they provided housing for them on world. It is not a world friendly for lonely children to grow up in, but I somehow managed. I would run around the alleys with a fake sword and chase off imaginary creatures and save the day.”</p><p>Isa pauses here for a second, and Lea is struck with a vision of a younger Isa running through a darkened city lit up only by the lights from the tall buildings. Lea has heard of The World That Never Was, but has never been there, nor does he ever want to based off of Isa’s description. </p><p>“One day a young boy saw me playing in the shadows and asked what I was doing. He looked a little older than me, and I was excited at the prospect of having someone to talk to. I told him I was chasing off evil creatures called Heartless, and the boy asked if there were any evil creatures around him he needed to be saved from. I was young and foolish and full of excitement at this person wanting to play with me, so I of course played along with him. Together we fought off the Heartless and restored the city. As I sat down on the curb with this stranger, I realized he was the first person around my age I could talk with.”</p><p>“My parents were always busy with work, and there were not a lot of families on world. So, I began what I guess was considered to me a friendship at the time with the young boy named Xehanort. For the next few years, he would be my only friend, and the more I got to know him, the more his plans enticed me. He had always wanted to leave The World That Never Was, but he did not want to do it alone. See, he had grown up a lonely child too, and together the two of us found each other. So, we decided when we were old enough to leave, we would."</p><p>Lea might have been tired before, but nothing was going to make him miss this story. He opens his eyes which take a few seconds to adjust to the darkness again, and turns to find Isa sitting cross legged on the bed next to him. Like this, he can only make out half of Isa’s face, but his face does not look happy. <em> I guess Isa really meant it, this story must not be happy. </em></p><p>"The years passed, and when we got old enough we started to put our plan into motion. We didn’t really have many personal belongings to speak of, so we each packed a bag and took the first Gummi Ship off world, we didn’t even care where we wound up. As we boarded the ship, I debated about whether or not I wanted to look back at the only world I had ever known. Part of me was… sad in a way, that I was leaving the alleyways and streets I was so familiar with. Xehanort did not look back, and part of me wanted to follow his example. But I felt a weird pull in me, a longing to take one last look. So I did, I looked out the window as the ship rose into the air. And I’m glad I did. That was the last time I ever saw The World That Never Was, and consequently the last time I ever truly felt unburdened. The more I look back on it, the more I realized that the one place I wanted to leave so badly is the one place I wish I could have returned to at least once more." Isa sighs and Lea can see how sad he looks. “Why do I get the feeling this is not going to end well for you Isa?”</p><p>Isa’s laugh is bitter. “I told you Lea, I have no happy stories.”</p><p>“Well maybe we can make some then.”</p><p>Isa looks at Lea at hearing those words, and something in Lea's chest blooms. <em> Hope. </em></p><p>“We wound up on Destiny Islands, years before the sea would eventually reclaim it. It was the first time either of us had been to a beach, and we were enamored. There was a ship, crewed by what became known to all its crew members as The Organization, and they were looking for people to join them. The ship was called Kingdom Hearts, and we were welcomed aboard. For the first few months, we learned the ins and outs of sailing, visiting worlds I had dreamed about in my lonely room on The World That Never Was. The captain, Xemnas, had taken towards me and said I was a natural at sailing once I picked up on it. Running a ship is no piece of cake, there is so much labor involved and a lot of it relies on how well you can read the warning signs from the weather. It’s true you know, the wind smells different when a storm is approaching. I used to laugh when the other crew members would say it, but then one day changed my entire life.” </p><p>Isa is silent for a beat, and Lea can’t imagine what is going on in Isa’s head. Lea can picture Isa, young and carefree with the sea breeze kissing his hair, maybe even a smile on his face. <em> The way he talks about the sea, it’s as if it were a real person to him. </em></p><p>“Before I knew it, four whole years had passed, four years I was sailing. The Organization had picked up some new crew members over the years, and we had all become family. One night, someone gave warning of an approaching storm on the horizon, and suggested we not sail through it. Xemnas did not listen, and sailed us towards it anyway. I had been in bad storms already, but this storm was something else not of this world. The rain felt like knives on our skin, we were soaked to the bone and the ship was filling with water. We had so many leaks and so much damage we were sure to sink, and we could not see any land in sight. I have never been so scared as I was that day. A flash of thunder hit the ship, and while it did that’s when I saw it- land. It was not in the direction Xemnas had charted, and so I screamed out to him to change course. The madman actually laughed at me and refused to listen. His eyes, illuminated by the lighting and the darkness glowed yellow, and the dread I felt that day I never wanted to feel again. The ship was in tatters, masts and lines were falling all over and some crew members were hit, while others, like myself, were at the brink of exhaustion trying to save the ship from sinking. I did something that day I was never proud of.” </p><p>Isa gets up, Lea assumes because he's too wired to continue sitting down. Lea can hear the emotion in his voice, and he can almost feel the terror of the storm. <em>I bet he has never told this story to anyone, and now that he is finally saying it out loud he cannot stop.</em> Isa takes his spot by the window, and it must be getting closer to the morning, because the room is bathed in a little more light against the blackout curtains. Lea has abandoned going back to sleep, and he turns his head to look at Isa against the bleak morning light. </p><p>“A piece of the mast had broken off and was within my reach. I looked again at Xemnas, who still looked unhinged, to the rest of the crew, scattered around, some unconscious and bleeding and the rest hopeless and I made up my mind. I can remember most of it, the weight of the wet splintered wood in my hand, the way I pretended to run to the back of the ship to throw it off, the sound it made as it collided on Xemnas’ head. I can see the way his body crumpled as it hit the deck, but I can’t remember moving to take his place at the helm but I know I did because I remember hearing the ship groan under the weight of the water to change course. The storm was so loud but I remember hearing the ship and feeling the pressure we were putting on it to move. Leaks were springing up everywhere, and I screamed to the rest of the crew to get the life jackets on everyone unconscious. I knew there was no way the ship was making it to shore in one piece, I had no clue how far away the shore actually was, and a big part of me doubted I even saw it to begin with. I steered us toward there anyway because I did not have anything to lose. I had just committed mutiny, and was probably going to die swallowed up by the unforgiving sea. I had nothing to lose,” Isa finishes the last sentence quietly and brokenly to himself. </p><p>Lea can't sit still any longer. It looked like Isa was lost in the memory, reliving that terrible storm alone, but he was not alone anymore. Lea wished more than anything he could squeeze his shoulder, do something to let him know he was here, anchored to the present in a cottage full of new beginnings. Lea walks over to Isa, not knowing what to do to help his friend, whose eyes were somewhere far away. <em> Like Isa did for me the first time I was here, I’m going to open the window. </em> Lea does just that, pulling back the curtains and opening the window and says “Isa?” Isa looks at him, eyes wide and vulnerable. “Isa you’re here at the cottage and the sun is up and bathing the cottage in a warm yellow light. We have a lot of work to do to unpack and the kids are going to be getting up for breakfast soon,” Lea says to him, maintaining eye contact and wishing he could touch him. Isa blinks around and backs up a step, looking bewildered. </p><p>“Apologies Lea, I-I got lost in the memory. Of course I’m here and not on the broken remains of Kingdom Hearts. Yes. Of course.” Isa looks away at the bedroom door and takes a breath. “You have a lot of things to do today as you mentioned, I shall leave you to it.”</p><p>“Oh no you don’t, don’t you dare disappear on me!” Lea says a little more loudly than he intended for the early morning silence of the room. Isa turns back to look at him, a question in his eyes. </p><p>“You do not get to just disappear when things get tough. I didn’t tell you those things to get rid of you or to not include you, I told you to try to get you to come back to the present. I know you can’t physically do those things with us but you can help in other ways and are more than welcome to join in if you want to. This is still your cottage, no matter that I signed off on it. It will always be your cottage Isa.”</p><p>Isa continues to stand there, and the question on his face slowly morphs into a thin smile. His shoulders drop, and he begins to look more comfortable and not ready for a fight. “How is it you always know just what to say Lea?”</p><p>“What can I say, it's part of my charm,” Lea jokes as he smiles back at Isa. With the sun filling up the room and a gentle sea breeze floating in, Lea relaxes too. He goes to sit on the bed, rubbing his eyes with his fingers. </p><p>“I did not mean to keep you awake. When you asked me to tell you a story I assumed you would fall asleep,” Isa tells him pointedly. </p><p>“Yeah well you have a nice voice and the story was much more interesting than sleeping so excuse me,” Lea says lightheartedly. Isa huffs out a small breath with Lea takes for a laugh and looks up at him. “If you don't mind me asking, how does the story end?”</p><p>Isa looks at Lea and takes a seat on the bed next to him. This close, Lea thinks it would be weird to turn and look at him, so they both look out the window and watch the curtains flutter in the breeze. Lea is afraid he messed up again by asking, his curiosity getting the better of him. </p><p>“I was right, the ship did not make it to shore. It is an unsettling thing, a ship that sturdy and mighty breaking apart underneath you. We were thrown into the water, some of us grabbing floating pieces of wood to haul the unconscious crew members onto, others just floating along thanks to the life vests. We kept swimming towards where I thought the land was, and after swimming for what felt like hours we hit the dock. My whole body ached, every movement felt like my body was ripping itself apart. There were some fishermen who were early morning fishing who helped us. I remember sitting on the dock, just looking out onto the horizon, in shock and awe that I made it out alive. I was calling out orders, assessing how injured the crew were. And then nothing. I woke up a few days later in a room and a healer came in and told me my crew were all alright but my ship was destroyed. I didn’t have the heart to tell her I was not the captain so I left it and drifted back to sleep. When I woke again a few members of The Organization were in the room with me. They said I had saved their lives and that if I still wanted to sail again, they would follow me. Xemnas had woken up, with no memory of that night but with the stories the other crew members told him he said I was right to do what I did, like a true captain would. He became my second in command, and we got a new ship- The Luna Diviner. The rest you already know.” </p><p>“Yeah like how that double crosser poisoned you and left you to die, piece of shit. Pretended everything was fine just to get rid of you,” Lea says with such anger that it startles Isa for a moment as he looks over to Lea. </p><p>“I’ve had a few years to stew over that thought Lea, and while I was angry back then I am no longer. Whatever happened to my crew I spare no more thoughts on, but my ship, now that I would love to see again. It was beautiful, we spared no expense after the shipwreck. It would be nice to look over the cliff to the beach below and see it anchored there. But that was years ago. Besides, I would have never met you if events didn’t play out exactly as they did,” Isa tells him.</p><p>For once, Lea can’t bear to look at Isa. A few minutes ago he was recounting one of the worst experiences in his life, and now he’s calmed down and telling Lea he’s happy he died because he made a friend. It doesn’t feel right, doesn’t sit right with Lea. He is not that special of a person that anyone should feel happy they died to meet.</p><p>“Now you were yelling at me before about running away, you know I can hear your thoughts right? Especially when you’re right next to me and practically seething,” Isa says with a smug tone of voice that pushes Lea over the edge.</p><p>“You shouldn’t feel happy to have died! You spent years haunting this cottage, years Isa! You’re telling me it was all worth it to be standing here with me right now? I call bullshit Isa, no way! I’m not that special.” Lea gets up, pacing back and forth by the window as he says that, trying to calm down. <em>I wanted to calm Isa down earlier and now I’m the one all worked up, just great. I can’t seem to do anything right. </em></p><p>Lea doesn’t even notice that Isa comes closer, doesn’t even feel his presence. What he does feel is a hand on his shoulder, a hand that feels solid and real, if a little cold. A hand that he should definitely not be feeling right now. Isa doesn’t seem to realize what he’s done, he just looks at Lea and says “I don’t think you have this memorized Lea. You are a great person, and I am already made better by knowing you.” </p><p>“Isa…,” Lea trails off, unable to form a single coherent thought. He can still feel it, the gentle pressure on his left shoulder, he can see Isa’s outstretched hand in his peripheral. “Isa...why can I feel your hand on my shoulder?”</p><p>Isa jerks his hand back like he’s been burned. He holds it in his opposite hand and looks at Lea with bewilderment. Before Lea can say anything, Isa disappears and one of the kids knocks on the bedroom door. “Lea, are you awake?” </p><p>“Yes Roxas, I’ll be down in a few minutes, we’ll make breakfast.”</p><p>“Pancakes?” Roxas enquiries.</p><p>“Pancakes if we have the ingredients.”</p><p>“Score, I’ll go look.” Lea listens to the sound of his feet disappear down the stairs, and sits on the floor against the window. Why is it that when I touched Isa last week my hand passed right through him, but he could touch me? Has that always been possible and Isa didn’t want me to know? Have I gone and messed it up again? “Couldn’t keep my mouth shut could I,” Lea whispers to himself. He suddenly feels exhausted, but knows he has a full day of chores ahead of him. “No getting out of anything today, maybe with a busy schedule I can distract myself,” Lea says aloud to himself as he goes to open his bedroom door. “I’ll leave the window open for you Isa,” he says as he walks out and closes his door behind him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hello everyone! first off I want to say I am deeply sorry for not updating in a while, I got hit with some health issues and a very busy work schedule so I had to juggle a lot of things in tandem with not feeling good so I had no time to write, but I am back and ready to go!! if you are sticking around to read, thank you and if you're a new reader- welcome and enjoy!!!!! like I said, this is an AU while keeping elements of the KH we all know and love, so I hope you enjoy!</p>
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